Mission Parameters
by Paulina Ann
Summary: Continuation of my "Taken" series. F19/J18. Joe's senior year is winding down as his and Frank's involvement with ORT increases. The brothers and Vanessa learn that sometimes mission parameters don't take into account issues of the heart.
1. Chapter 1

**Mission Parameters**

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Summary:** Continuation of my "Taken" series. F19/J18. Joe's senior year is winding down as his and Frank's involvement with ORT increases. The brothers and Vanessa learn that sometimes mission parameters don't take into account issues of the heart.

* * *

 **Background:**

So it's around the end of April now in the story. I don't have an exact time frame in mind. But everyone has said where they are going to college by this point. I'm not going to write a chapter with them doing that as I'm sure some of them had decided by Christmas where they were going. I doubt they were all keeping it secret until the college signing day (mainly big deal for athletes) at the end of April. So here is where everyone is or will be going:

Frank – Bayport College (fictional) – Criminal Justice with a focus in Digital Forensics (not sure that would be a minor)  
Callie – Bayport College (fictional) – undecided… mainly because I'm undecided J  
Chet – local community college near Bayport (fictional) – Welding Technology (hey, he can use it on the farm and welders make good money)  
Phil – NYU (real) – undecided, perhaps financial

Joe – Bayport College (fictional) – Criminal Justice with a minor in Mathematics  
Iola – Westchester Community College in Valhalla, NY (real) – Veterinarian Tech  
Vanessa – Bayport College (fictional) – Cybersecurity with a minor in Criminal Justice  
Biff – Eastern North Carolina University (fictional, there is an East Carolina University but not one with this name) - undecided  
Tony – Southport College (fictional) – Business Administration with a minor in Culinary Arts

Don't worry, if you need to know what the major was to understand a particular chapter I'll be sure to include that in the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter One**

Laura Hardy tried to contain her nervous energy but couldn't, standing once again in the living room and then sitting back down on the couch. Frank and Joe would be arriving home shortly so the family could have a meal together. Thomas had other plans for the evening and this made things perfect for Laura to have her family discussion. She could feel her husband's eyes on her as she shifted her knees from the left to the right and then back again.

"We don't have to do this tonight," Fenton said with a smile.

Laura looked from the front door to her husband. "No. No. It's something I've been thinking about since Joe was injured and I think we need to go ahead and address it."

"And you're sure you don't want to run your… speech by me first?"

After letting out a deep breath, Laura said, "No. I think it will be better if the boys hear what I think and understand that it's coming from me. You can add your own take on it." She paused and said, "I understand if you don't agree with me." She leaned her head back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Who am I kidding? I know you won't agree with me." She lifted a hand and let it drop limply back in her lap. "You do this for a living because you love it."

Fenton chuckled and Laura raised her head to glare at him. She was just opening her mouth to comment when the front door opened and the two brothers walked in laughing about something.

Joe stopped abruptly causing Frank to bump into him.

"What?" Frank began and then saw both his parents sitting in the room.

"I didn't do it!" Joe said immediately.

"Do what?" Laura asked with some confusion.

"Do whatever it is that caused you to be in the living room and not in the kitchen," Joe spit out quickly. "You're never waiting for me. Together. In the living room." He glanced at the television. "With the tv off." Joe didn't say more as Frank pushed him further so that he could get all the way into the house and close the door.

"Joe's actually making sense," Frank said as he stepped to stand beside his brother. "What's up?"

Laura stood and motioned for the boys to have a seat. "I have something I wanted to talk about with the two of you." She smiled at Joe. "You're not in trouble. I just have been thinking about something and need to talk with both of you about it. About how I feel." Laura could see the glance that Frank gave her husband and saw his almost imperceptible nod. A slight frown formed on her lips as she saw Frank tense. She knew that he knew what she was going to bring up.

As Frank sat down, he said, "Maybe it's something we should discuss after supper." He gave a worried look to his brother who was looking at each of them.

"Wait? Do all of you know what this is about?" Joe asked with a slightly irritated tone as he looked around.

"It's not something I've discussed with your father or your brother since I first mentioned it a few days before your birthday," Laura said carefully. She didn't want Joe to think they were ganging up on him or were talking about him when he wasn't around. Silence came over the room as she let her words sink in.

Joe's brows knit together for a few moments and then he slowly said, "A few days _before_ my birthday? I don't understand. That would have been when I was…." He stopped speaking for a moment and then completed his sentence. "That would have been when I was missing or in the hospital."

Laura nodded. "That's right. You were in surgery and I was in the waiting area with your father and brother." She saw him dart a nervous glance to both of the other men and then his knee began to bounce. She really didn't want to agitate him, but she needed to speak about this before both of them got caught up again in their government business. She drew a deep breath and said, "I'd like for you AND Frank to reconsider working for the government. I'm concerned about your assignments. I just feel that you'll be safer working with your father." She could see that Joe was already gathering himself to make a rebuttal so she hurried on. "I'm not saying that I want you to stop doing detective work. I just want you to reconsider WHO you work with." There. She was done… for now.

Frank looked to his father and asked. "What do you think, dad?"

"You're both old enough to make your own decisions but your mother does have some valid concerns."

"Do you think we should quit?" Joe asked heatedly.

"How can you quit what you've never really started?" Laura asked quickly and then realized that it had been the wrong thing to say.

"If you didn't think they were going to ask me to join, you wouldn't have had this meeting." Joe retorted. "It would have just been Frank." He cut his eyes to his brother. "Have you already talked about this with mom?"

"No," Frank said calmly. "She mentioned it in the waiting room just like she said.

"And what did you say?" Joe stared at his brother waiting impatiently for his answer.

"I told her that you wouldn't like us talking about your future without including you in the discussion."

Laura could see the anger dissipate from her youngest.

Joe looked at his father. "So you aren't against us staying with…" his eyes cut to his mother and then back, "the agency?"

"No, I'm not opposed to it. I plan to talk with the lead agents we work with about some safeguards, but they would be for all of the high school/college recruits not just the two of you," Fenton replied.

"Frank, what about you? Do you plan to continue?" Joe asked his brother.

Frank turned his gaze from his brother to his mother. "I do. I wouldn't have found out who set Joe up without the resources of the agency and the training I've gotten. I think staying with them awhile will only make me a better detective."

Laura slumped a little. If Frank was going to stay on, then Joe would undoubtedly do so as well. She was surprised to hear Joe say, "I'd like to talk to mom alone if it's okay." Laura took in his calm demeanor which was almost too calm for her and nodded. She saw her husband and Frank give Joe a final look before heading into the kitchen. Once the sounds of plates being readied for supper started, she turned her gaze to Joe.

"I only want-" she began but was cut off as Joe raised his hand in a 'stop' motion. The eyes he raised to meet hers were full of hurt and that stopped her from speaking more than his gesture.

"I thought you of all people would understand, mom," Joe began with an angry tone. "So what was that back in November? Just a load of bull to make me feel better?"

"Joe. I meant what I said-"

"Really?" Joe said somewhat sarcastically. His tone for this conversation was one that Laura rarely heard from Joe, at least directed at her. "Because I thought you were one of the girls that would love me for who I am," Joe dropped his eyes and his tone changed, "not for what you wanted me to be."

Laura paled as she realized what she had done.

"I'm staying with the agency, mom. At least for now." He raised his eyes to hers for a brief moment and then looked away as he stood. "I'm not hungry any more. I'll grab a snack later," he said as he moved toward the stairs.

"Wait!" Laura called out as she stood and looked at his back. _How can I make this right? Dear Lord, help me make this right._ "Maybe I should have approached this differently. But you have to realize I only asked you to reconsider working with _these_ people. I never demanded that you stop. When you and Frank continue to work for them, it won't change how I feel about you." She paused. "And I hope this doesn't change how you feel about me." She waited and held her breath. Would Joe accept the peace offering?

Joe's shoulders slumped and she had to move closer to hear the words that he softly uttered. "Nothing could change how I feel about you, mom." He turned and moved a couple of steps to close the distance between them and swept her into a hug. "Nothing," he whispered again. When he released her, he kept his eyes down. "I guess I let my temper get the better of me again."

Laura laid a hand on his arm and waited for him to look her in the eye. "You've been through a lot. I could have done this a better way. I could have asked for your and Frank's opinions on this instead of suggesting you stop working for… the agency."

Joe shook his head no. "No, mom. It was me. I want you to be able to talk to me. You shouldn't have to worry about me blowing up about it."

She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "I think we both could have done things differently. How about that? Truce?"

"Truce," Joe said with a smile.

"Will you eat with us?"

"Yeah, my appetite seems to have returned," he said as he moved toward the kitchen with his arm around his mom.

Laura placed her arm around Joe's waist and squeezed. She was still worried, but she had to let the boys live their lives… even when it made her nervous at how they did it.

.*********.

Frank watched his brother carefully across the dinner table. Joe appeared to have made a complete recovery from his ordeal at the hands of the Sacco family but Frank still wasn't sure. It was only three weeks ago that Joe had to use a wheelchair to get from the parking lot to the stands at BC so that he could watch Frank pitch. Frank had pitched one of his best games ever that night. No way was he going to lose a game that his little brother had struggled to attend.

Joe looked up and caught Frank staring and turned his head to side slightly. Frank knew that Joe was trying to figure out what was going on so he smiled at his brother and then looked over to his father who was speaking.

An hour later, Joe was driving Frank back to BC.

"So you and mom worked things out?" Frank asked carefully. He could see Joe smile.

"Yeah. She's not all that happy still, but I don't think she'll push the issue again like she did this time." His smile faded and he gave a glance to his brother. "Did mom really bring this up when I was in the hospital?"

"She did. We were waiting for you to get out of surgery." Frank drew a breath at the painful memories that were just below the surface. "She was pretty angry about it. She was ready to end your participation in ORT and mine too. But I managed to hold her off."

"How?" Joe asked glancing to his brother once again.

"I told her that you'd be none too pleased about her deciding your future without your input."

Joe smiled as his gaze remained on the road. "You were right."

"What was that?"

Joe laughed, "You heard me. You were _right_."

"Music to an older brother's ears."

.**********.

Joe parked the van in the Hardys' driveway and turned it off. He placed both hands on the steering wheel and drew a deep breath. He hadn't lied to Dr. Childers or his family; he was okay- for the most part. The part that wasn't so okay was his mind when he was sleeping. During the day, it wasn't that difficult to keep the multiplying memory demons at bay. There was a lot to distract him and for him to focus on. The only glitches occurred when something specific sparked a particularly bad memory like those grocery bags. But at night? At night, there was nothing to distract him from the memory demons. Though he was all right with what happened with his mother earlier, he was certain that it was going to bring on a bad night. His parents didn't know when he had the night terrors as they weren't close enough to his room to hear his soft cries or to see him clawing at his mouth and nose as he relived the strongest of his memories. Yes, there were others that came out at night: the Lairds and Camille. But here lately RJ and the plastic bags were the primary culprits. _No sense putting it off_ , he thought as he reached for the door handle. It was time to go inside and finish homework before he settled in to fight his personal nighttime tormentors.

.*********.

 _2:17 a.m._

Joe woke to the darkness of his room. Breathing heavily, he sat up and used the bottom of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face. He made his way to the bathroom and flicked on the light which caused him to blink and squint. A washcloth from the side cabinet was soon under the faucet that was running cold water. Turning off the water, he looked into the mirror and grimaced. _Guess I could have left the light off_ , Joe thought. _It's exactly what I expected_. He wiped over his face and then rinsed and wrung out the cloth and then placed it against his cheek. Two red streaks went from his right cheekbone down to his neck. He had found that by applying the cold cloth quickly, the marks would be hardly noticeable in the morning. By the time he got home from school they would be completely gone. This was the result most of the time when he dreamed of RJ- the feeling of suffocation and then the frantic attempt on his part to tear the nonexistent bag from his face. _Rinse and repeat_ , Joe thought as he put the cloth under the cold water again. He'd do this for about ten minutes and then he'd attempt to get some sleep before it was time for school.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** I am at home celebrating the fact that I do NOT have strep throat but allergy related throat pain. While I'm happy I don't have strep, I still have the throat pain, so that's a bummer. Hoping the OTC meds kick in and help. :-)

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Joe was at school and on-time the next day. In their first class together, Iola looked at the faint marks on his face and quietly asked, "Rough night?" The group of Hardy friends knew most of the details from the abduction and since Iola knew of Joe's previous nightmares from the last couple of years, she understood the way the others couldn't.

Looking at her carefully, he nodded and said, "But I'm okay now." His relationship with Iola wasn't high tension anymore. Things had settled down after their talk in the hospital and he knew without a doubt, that she wouldn't betray him on this to any of their friends.

She nodded back and said, "You should probably put a little ice on it when it happens and take a couple of Advil." She turned her attention to the instructor who was just beginning to speak.

Joe gave a small smile as he looked at Iola's profile before pulling out his notebook. He was blessed to have his family and friends.

.**********.

At lunch the friends sat together along with the newest member of the group: Ross Blanchard. Joe no longer felt any resentment toward the fellow senior. He was at peace with his break-up with Iola and was very happy with his new relationship with Vanessa.

"Great," Tony said a sarcastically as he looked behind Joe.

Joe recognized the tone and smiled. It had to be Hal Rooker coming up behind him. Surprisingly Hal no longer bothered him in the least. What he had been through in the last two years was so much more than anything Hal could inflict with his verbal jabs, that the taunts from him only made him smile, which in turn irritated Hal all the more.

"Wow, this has to be something of record for you, Joe," Hal's voice came from behind him.

Before Hal could continue, Joe turned and said, "Yeah, I know. I've been at school for a whole week."

Hal frowned as Joe had taken away what he had obviously been his line. "Yeah, well-"

Joe smiled and said, "I am just so lucky that my father carries the clout needed to allow me to graduate without having to go to summer school."

Hal's eyes narrowed as Joe's friends began to laugh.

Before Joe turned back to his food, he said, "Great job last week in the win against Exeter. The team really needed that sacrifice fly you hit in the ninth."

Hal's expression turned from irritation to confusion. "Well, um, thanks. Tonight's game against Southport will be tough."

"Best of luck." In that moment, Joe's tone faltered slightly. He would have loved to have played but his condition kept him out of tryouts and the beginning of the season and he still wasn't at the point he could play.

In a rare moment of compassion, Hal said, "Thanks. The team could use you. Sorry you can't play."

Joe recognized that Hal was willing to let things go… for now. "Thanks. I'll be in the stands to cheer on the team." With a nod he turned back to his tray.

Tony watched Hal walk away and said, "Well, wonders never cease." He looked to Joe. "That was pretty awesome how you turned things completely around."

Picking at his food, Joe cautiously said, "Well, I've learned what's important."

The friends didn't say anything but they all had been learning that lesson.

.**********.

Joe sat in the stands with Tony's girlfriend, Anna, as the Bayport High School team took the field. Frank was out of town for an away game and his parents had gone to watch him having left early that morning. Joe recalled his mother fussing over him greatly but he had managed to assure her that he would be all right staying by himself overnight.

Anna watched as Joe checked his watch at the end of the eighth inning. "Meeting Vanessa tonight?"

"Yeah," Joe said as he glanced over. "She's coming over to the house after she eats dinner with her mom."

"Guess you're not coming to Prito's after the game then," she said with a smile.

Returning the smile, he said, "Not tonight. Going to wash the van while I'm waiting for Vanessa. She's going to pick up Chinese for me on the way over. Once the van's done then we'll watch a movie at the house."

Anna laughed as the teams switched out on the field. "So washing the van is part of the date?"

"Well, there probably won't be a lot left to do by the time she gets there," Joe was saying when Anna cut in.

"Only you would think that washing cars was exciting."

"Yeah, well, the van's really dirty," he justified.

"Have you thought about getting a new vehicle?"

"Why?" Joe asked in surprise.

"Well, you guys got it used, right?"

"Right, but what's that got to do with it?"

Anna shrugged, "Nothing really except that there are a lot of newer vehicle that are a little more…"

Joe laughed. "In style?"

Blushing slightly, Anna said, "Well…"

Turning back to the game, Joe said, "It's okay, Anna. I know that a van isn't the sportiest thing for a teenager to have, but it's worked pretty good for me and Frank so far." He gave a slight shrug and added, "Maybe I'll look for something in a couple of years." His focus back on the game, he put his fingers in his mouth and let out a shrill whistle before yelling, "Let's go Bayport!"

Bayport held on to its two run lead and won the game. After congratulating his friends, Joe headed home to start washing the van and wait for Vanessa.

.**********.

A huge grin lit up Joe's face as Vanessa parked at the end of the driveway.

"Is that smile for me or for the bag of Chinese I have?" Vanessa asked with a laugh as she closed her car door.

"Both!" Joe said enthusiastically. "Just put it on the porch since I'm almost done. We just need to rinse her off and then give her a rub down."

Vanessa laughed some more as she placed the food on the porch and turned back to Joe. "Sounds like you're talking about a horse and not a van."

Joe paused with the water hose in his hand, the nozzle spraying somewhat. "You know how to ride?"

"Not at all, but I read all the Black Stallion books as a child."

This time it was Joe's chance to laugh. Looking back over the van he sprayed a high arc of water over the top to wash off the remaining suds. "Doggone sprayer," Joe muttered as he messed with the nozzle which was continuing to spray water at a high rate.

"What's wrong?" Vanessa asked as she walked closer.

"This nozzle has been messing up and now it won't shut off," Joe said as he once again squeezed on the handle.

"Here, let me try," Vanessa said and took the hose from him. With a surprisingly gently move, she had the spray off so it was just dripping slightly.

"Amazing," Joe said with a smile. "I'll just turn it off and then we can wind it up," he said over his shoulder as he moved to the spigot at the side of the house.

"You know, that was really weird- Oh! Oh!"

Joe turned to see that Vanessa had turned the sprayer nozzle in her direction and whatever she had fixed became unfixed and sprayed her upper body with water before she dropped it. But when she dropped it, it continued to spray at her as she ran away. Joe laughed as he ran to the spigot and turned the water off at the source. "I guess that just proves we need a new sprayer." Joe's laughter died as he turned back to Vanessa.

"What?" Vanessa asked as she stood dripping water from her hair and shaking water from her arms.

Joe couldn't seem to form a complete sentence at the moment as he stared at his girlfriend.

Vanessa finally followed his eyes. "Joe! Eyes up here, mister!" She called out as she pointed to her face which was blushing pink.

Snapping out of his daze, Joe looked up quickly to her face. "Sorry!" he said as he glanced quickly again to the white t-shirt that was soaking wet. The small design on the front did nothing to disguise the outline of her bra and shapely figure. "Let's go inside. I'll take care of the hose later," he said quickly moving past her to grab the Chinese on the way inside.

Joe put the food on the coffee table and then ran to the steps. I'll get you a towel and a t-shirt." When Joe came back downstairs he found her standing on the tile entryway dripping. Handing her the towel, he said, "Sorry you got sprayed."

Vanessa blotted most of the water from her face and hair and wrapped the towel around her upper body. "Um? Mind moving out of the way?"

"Oh, yeah," Joe said stepping to the side and holding out the t-shirt to her.

"I'll change in the bathroom. I don't think my jeans are too bad. I can probably keep those on," she said as she surveyed her legs.

"I'm going to go change and then I'll be right back down," Joe said as he walked with her towards the stairs and the hallway that led to the downstairs bath. With a wink he was gone up the steps.

.**********.

Vanessa pulled the dry t-shirt over her head. It was probably one of Joe's and had the Star Trek logo on it. Her hands brushed across her thighs. The jeans were wetter than she thought and she had to admit to herself that they'd be very uncomfortable if she had to sit around in them. She could hear Joe coming down the steps. She opened the door and called out, "Joe? My jeans are too wet. Can you get me a pair of your mom's shorts or something?"

"Sure."

She closed the door and turned to face the mirror. It was definitely a weird start to their 'stay at home' date, she thought as she pulled her jeans off and folded them on the vanity. A knock sounded at the door and she stood behind the door and opened it a little to peer out at Joe. "Find something?"

"Yeah. I got these out of the clean laundry downstairs. Mom wears them to the gym and I thought they'd fit you," Joe said handing her a pair of jersey shorts.

Laura Hardy had a smaller waist than she did but she'd rather be a little constricted than ask to wear a pair of Joe's shorts or boxers. She blushed slightly thinking about it. "Thanks," she replied opening the door a little further to take the shorts and then closed the door.

.**********.

Joe stared at the bathroom door. Things were getting a little 'hot' for him and he knew they would only get worse when Vanessa came out of the bathroom. When she had opened the door further, he had glanced up and seen the reflection of her back and legs in the bathroom mirror. The t-shirt had stopped above mid-thigh and all he could think about right now was those long, long legs. He shook his head as he headed back down the hall to get a soda and utensils to use for his Chinese take-out.

Just a few minutes later, he almost choked when she came back in the living room. His mom's shorts which were mid-thigh on his mom were higher on Vanessa and with the t-shirt made it look like she was only wearing the shirt. Joe grabbed the soda and had a long drink. He felt Vanessa sit on the couch in what he was starting to think of as dangerously close proximity. He darted a glance over to her and then quickly back to his food. "So what are we watching?" he asked in what sounded like way too high of a voice even to him.

The weight of Vanessa's stare was on him for just a moment and then she leaned over for the remote. I don't know, I was thinking something romantic-"

"Um, how about one of the 'Fast and Furious' movies?" Joe quickly put in.

Vanessa laughed and scooted over closer to him. "Those aren't romantic."

Joe put down the food he had been holding and turned to look at her. She was leaning in to him and when she put her hand on his thigh, he just lost it. One moment he was sitting there looking at her and the next thing he knew they were kissing passionately with her laying beneath him on the couch. His hand ran along her exposed thigh and up her hip where his hand went under the loose fitting t-shirt and he felt bare skin.

Breaking the contact of their lips, Vanessa quickly and breathlessly said, "Stop, Joe." When his hand continued up, she repeated herself and pushed gently against him.

Quickly sitting up and leaning back against the couch with his eyes closed, he raised his hands and rubbed them over his face. "Man! I'm so sorry, Vanessa. I don't know what came over me."

"I do," she said quietly. When he looked at her, she said, "The same thing came over me." She shrugged. "I just was able to think about it just enough to say stop." When he closed his eyes again, she said, "I know it's hard-"

Joe opened his eyes and gave her a raised eyebrow look and just like that they were both laughing as she scooted over to other side of the couch. Shaking his head, Joe said, "I'm going to go take a cold shower. Pick out something that ISN'T romantic." Moments later he was back down the steps and tossed her a pair of his jogging pants. "I know they'll be loose, but just put them on overtop of those shorts." Her laughter followed him up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later he was back downstairs and when he sat down on the couch there was a whole seat cushion between them and she was wearing his jogging pants.

"I'm not sure what class level of 'awkward' we're up to now. I think it was at least 401 the last time," she said with a smile.

"I'm thinking it was 501," Joe returned. He ran a hand through his damp hair and said, "We slept in the same bed for over six weeks and nothing like this happened." He shook his head. "No wonder Agent Williams gave you those condoms."

Vanessa laughed. "It does kinda blow my whole 'we can be professional' statement out of the water. But, Joe, we weren't dating. You had a girlfriend and I had just met you. Things have changed a lot since last summer."

"Yeah, they have," he said as he moved on the couch to face her better. "I guess it was seeing you in that wet t-shirt." He laughed and shook his head. "It's like that started a whole ignition sequence that I just couldn't shut down."

"Well, I can't say that I was all that resistant." She blushed and looked down at her hands. "The way you looked at me…. I liked it."

Joe could feel his pulse quickening. He quickly shut his eyes, leaned back against the sofa and began saying, "Aunt Gertrude. Aunt Gertrude. Aunt-"

"What in the world are you doing, Joe?" Vanessa's tone indicated her confusion.

"I could feel the ignition sequence starting again and the quickest way to shut it off is to think about Aunt Gertrude," he said with a smile as he opened his eyes and looked at her again when she laughed.

"Why don't we just throw my stuff in the dryer, give it twenty minutes, and then once I change, let's drive back to my house."

Joe's grin was lopsided. "What? Don't think I can be 'professional' for longer than twenty minutes?"

"Not you," she quietly. "Me."

Joe's eyes widened then he shut them quickly and started repeating Aunt Gertrude's name once again.

Vanessa put her clothes in the dryer. They watched a movie with car chases until the clothes were mostly dry and then they drove to Vanessa's house where they watched a romantic movie knowing that Andrea Bender was in the next room. It was much easier to be 'professional' even though their thoughts were anything but.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

Author's Notes: sorry guys wrong chapter. I'm on a van with a group returning from a trip. I hit the wrong chapters 3! This one should work!

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 _Saturday night…_

Joe had gathered details on the game that BC had won and Frank's key role in the win when the Hardys arrived home. Joe had been slightly nervous when everyone had arrived. It was like there was a guilty sign over his head and he had felt awkward when his mom and dad had sat down on the couch to catch the news. But everyone was all smiles as the evening drew to a close. It was his brother's smile that concerned him as they readied for bed.

"So…" Frank said as he lounged against the doorframe leading from the bathroom into Joe's room.

"Yeah?" Joe asked as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it toward the hamper. It caught the edge and then fell to the floor. Joe left it there as he picked up the shirt he was going to sleep in from the foot of the bed.

"So, you had Vanessa over last night?"

"Yeah," Joe said as he pulled the shirt down over his torso and then plopped onto his bed. "You knew I was going to have her over."

"True, but somebody is almost always here. You were here. Alone."

Joe tried to give his best confused look to his brother as he reached for his tablet on the nightstand. "Frank, I don't know what you're trying to say, but really. I slept with her for over a month in an apartment complex. What's the big deal?"

Frank continued to smile. "I don't know. It's just that you had a slightly guilty look when we got home."

Joe gave Frank a smile. "Your imagination, big brother."

"So you really washed the van, ate Chinese, and watched a movie?"

Joe's smile faltered slightly. "Yeah. That's exactly what we did." It was true; they did those things. They also left the house as soon as they could to go to Andrea's house but he didn't want to explain that to Frank. "What? Do you want me to grill you about your dates with Callie?"

The smile grew larger on Frank's face. "I was just asking a few questions."

Joe was starting to get irritated and with it his control over what he said. "No. You're trying to find out something. There's nothing to find out, Frank." He should have stopped there but he went to describe the sequence of events again and that is where he messed up. "She came over. I washed the Vanessa-"

"Wait! You _washed Vanessa_?" Frank asked with his smile growing huge.

"No, Frank. That's not what I said. I said I washed _the van_. We ate and watched a movie." Joe's face had taken on a heated shade.

Joe was glad when Frank decided to drop the subject, just leaving him with a, "Sure that's what you said," before he went back into his own room.

Leaning back with relief against his pillows, he closed his eyes. He'd have to talk to Vanessa. He hadn't thought about the need to get a story straight and he didn't know why he just didn't come right out and tell Frank what happened. Maybe it was just the fact that it was between him and Vanessa and that's where he wanted it to stay.

.**********.

The following week, Agent Johnson met with Joe and his father at Fenton's business office.

"So how are you doing, Joe?" Keo Johnson asked once he was seated at the small conference table.

"The doctors have given me a clean bill of health. I'm back now on regular foods with no limitations and all my physical restrictions have been lifted as well," Joe replied seriously.

"And your mental bill of health?" Johnson inquired.

Joe kept his eyes on the agent. "I've been seeing Dr. Childers once a week but we plan to change that to once a month starting in May."

"And your anti-depressants?"

"I stopped those awhile back with Dr. Childers approval. I haven't gone back on them," Joe said evenly. His hands were sweating a little. All his answers had been truthful, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't still having some problems. The memory demons still came out to play in his dreams on a far too regular basis.

"That's good," Johnson said and then turned his attention to Fenton. "As you know, we'd like to do some training with Joe just as we have with Frank and Vanessa. After taking his aptitude and abilities test we found that Joe would do very well with explosives and sniper training."

Fenton sat forward. "Joe never said anything about sniper training. He said he wanted weapons training."

"He did and he will get that as part of the basic training that all the field agents get. Frank and Vanessa will be trained this summer and Joe will be trained as well, though perhaps not at the same time."

"Why not at the same time?" Joe asked.

"I'll get to that in a moment. But first are you interested in the training that I mentioned?"

Joe shot a glance to his father and then back to Johnson. "What does the sniper training involve?"

"We'd sent you to a sniper training school out west. You'd get an intensive two week training that would involve the guns to be used, ammunition, camouflage, long-range shooting, short-range, various shooting positions. Basically everything the military would teach you, they'll teach you."

Joe nodded. He didn't look at his dad as he replied, "I'm interested in the training but you understand I'm not interested in being an assassin, right?"

Johnson smiled. "Never thought you would be, Joe. However, the skills you will learn in the sniper training can be used in a number of situations."

Joe nodded again. "That's why I'm agreeing. How about the explosives training?"

"That would be done in an intensive five day training and then over the course of several months as you gain experience in dealing with live ordinance. Obviously, with your football schedule, some of this training may need to start after football season or be carried out over a longer period. The good news is that we do a large part of this training locally."

"I'm good with that. When would I start with the sniper training?"

"As soon as you graduate. We'll ship you off for the two weeks. When you return we have a possible undercover assignment for you."

"What and where?" Fenton asked.

"Chesapeake, VA, area. We've intercepted a number of vehicles with guns and drugs being shipped to a couple of dealerships in the area. We're working to find out who's putting the contraband on the vehicles but there are any number of places they could get put on. But we haven't been able to determine yet if the goods are taken off when they unload the cars from the train or if they make it to the dealership and someone there unloads it. Then we've got to find who's buying them. Stopping the flow of the contraband is important, but we're just as interested in where it's going. So with that in mind, we'd be trying to put Joe into a spot at a dealership."

"He's little young to be working sales," Fenton said as he leaned back in his chair.

"He wouldn't be in the sales department. For the month of May, we'd like Joe to come work in our garage at ORT so he can get the needed certification to work as a mechanic. One of the dealerships is really big on hiring high schoolers in their garage." Keo smiled. "Joe would be perfect."

"Who would be going with me?" Joe asked.

Keo continued to smile. "Actually, Agent Williams has requested to go. She's just left for Chesapeake to start laying her cover there. She'll be doing some work from her apartment there and coordinating with the ORT office in Norfolk."

"What about Frank?" Joe was a little surprised. He hadn't expected to be going on a mission without Frank somewhere nearby.

"We're looking to set Frank and Vanessa up for an op involving information gathering. They're skills won't be needed in the VA op but yours will be invaluable." Keo gave Joe a penetrating stare. "You understand that not all your assignments will involve your brother, right?"

"Yeah," Joe said slowly. "I guess I just thought after last summer-." Joe broke off abruptly. "But I understand. You just caught me off-guard."

"Can you handle it?" Johnson asked.

"Now wait-" Fenton began but stopped as Joe interrupted.

"No, dad. Agent Johnson has the right to ask." Joe shrugged. "I've been through a lot in the last couple of years." He looked at the agent. "But I'm sure that you've already checked with Dr. Childers since I did release that information. You wouldn't have even come here if you didn't think I could handle it and you definitely wouldn't send me to sniper school if you thought I'd have mental issues."

Johnson heaved a sigh. "You're right about that, Joe. But it's not the tests I want to hear from or even Childers. If you say that it's too soon, I wouldn't fault you one bit. It's your call."

Joe thought for a moment and then said, "Earlier, you wanted to know about my mental state. I told you the truth but I did leave out something. I still have nightmares about what's happened to me. I control it during the day but at night…" He lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug.

Nodding, Johnson said, "You're not the only one, son."

Joe's eyes flickered from the second button on Johnson's shirt to his eyes. The deep brown eyes showed that perhaps he carried his own memory demons. Then the look was gone as Johnson said, "The garage will be in contact with you about when to start. You may have to put in a couple of Saturdays."

Joe smiled. "Working in that garage? I'll be happy to work on Saturday."

Agent Johnson pushed back from the table. "In that case, we're done. Thank you Fenton, Joe." With a nod he turned and left the room. Joe and Fenton followed him out.

"Son-" Fenton began.

"Don't tell mom," Joe said and turned to look at his father. "There's nothing that either of you can do."

"Do you think it's a good thing to go on these ops where you might collect more bad memories?"

Joe thought for a moment and said, "I've only been on the one official ORT op. What happened with Jules was outside of that. That op in Detroit? I felt like I was doing something worthwhile." He smiled as he added, "And it's where I met Vanessa."

Fenton returned the smile as he said, "Well, I can't say anything bad about that." His smile faded. "If you ever need to talk."

"I know I've got plenty of willing ears," Joe said as he moved toward the door. When it closed behind him he stood for a moment. It would be weird not being with Frank on an operation. But maybe it would be a good thing. He'd be on his own and he could operate without Frank. A doubt nibbled at the edge of his conscious but he pushed it aside. There were those who thought he relied too much on his brother. This would be the chance to prove them wrong.

.**********.

"You're what?" Frank asked loudly as they sat in the van. Joe had picked him up for one of their weekly meals at the house. Thomas was out on a date so it was the two of them.

"I'll be going on a mission with Agent Williams this summer. Gee, Frank! What's the big deal?" Joe asked in exasperation.

"It's just- I mean- Well, who's going to back you up?" Frank asked in the same loud tone.

"Agent Williams that's who!" Joe replied, his own voice raising.

"I don't think it's enough. You need someone else there. I'll get dad to talk-"

The tires of the van squealed as Joe pulled quickly into the parking lot of the Save-Mart and parked the van.

"What the hell, Joe!?"

"No you won't." Joe said heatedly.

"I won't what?" Frank shot back.

"You are NOT going to ask dad to talk to ORT."

"Why not?"

Joe threw his hands in the air and looked at his brother in irritation. "I'm a big boy, Frank. I don't need constant back-up. I didn't say anything like this when you went off last summer with agents I didn't even know."

"Yeah. But I'm not the one-"

"What, Frank?" Joe's tone fully conveyed his irritation. "You're not the one that gets kidnapped and tortured? Is _that_ what this is about? Your overprotective big brother mission? Because if that's what it is, _get over it_." Joe was ticked off. He knew that Frank had kicked the big brother mode into the stratosphere after what happened with the Saccos. It was actually Frank who had called to check on him the Saturday morning after the away game where their parents had left Joe alone at the house.

Frank glared at Joe. "Don't confuse my logical concern with being overprotective."

"Well, then I guess dad must be off his rocker because he didn't seem to have the same concerns as you."

"He probably does but just didn't want _you_ to go off like a lunatic just because he was concerned!" Frank shot back. His volume had dropped but the tone still conveyed the same message.

Joe faced forward in his seat and put the van into gear. "I think we had better just drop this subject now before things get out of hand."

Frank snorted. "I think they've already gone there. But maybe that's just me being too much of an overprotective big brother." Frank then lapsed into silence as Joe pulled carefully back onto the road.

.**********.

That evening after the meal and once the dishes were clear, Laura said, "I don't know what's going on. But something has happened. I want you to get it worked out." She walked over to Frank and gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left the room.

Joe slouched on one end of the sofa while Frank sat on the other end in a more stiff upright position. Fenton looked at his two sons from his spot in his favorite easy chair. He addressed Frank. "So Joe told you about his potential mission."

"Yes," Frank replied in a clipped tone.

Fenton looked from Frank to Joe and back again. "And what did you have to say about it?"

"I told him I thought he needed more back-up."

"What you meant though was that I can't _handle_ an op without you there to keep an eye on me," Joe said angrily.

"That's not what I said!"

"Frank! Joe!" Fenton snapped out loudly. "We will discuss this in a normal tone of voice. And we WILL be civil to each other."

"Yes, dad," both boys said as they looked away from each other.

"Frank, I was there when Agent Johnson gave Joe a brief overview. Everything sounds fine. I have no qualms about sending Joe on this assignment. Frank?" Fenton waited for his oldest son's attention. "The two of you make an incredible team, but you're also great as individuals. When you work for an agency like ORT, you can't expect to always be paired together. There will some separate assignments."

Frank sat quietly for a minute. "I know. It's just…" He shrugged.

"being overprotective" Joe completed his sentence.

"NOT what I said," Frank retorted looking over to his younger brother who was still not looking at him.

"I think I've said what I need to say. Can you drive Frank back tonight, dad?" Joe asked as he stood.

"Joe-" Fenton began but at the pleading look in Joe's eyes, said, "Sure, Joe."

"Thanks. Night, Frank," Joe said as he walked to the stairs and never looked back.

Frank watched his brother's retreating back and once he was out of sight, he asked, "What did I do wrong, dad? I was just being cautious."

"It obviously came across as you not thinking he can handle a mission on his own. Did you say something that could have given him that impression?" Fenton asked his gaze moving from the stairway to Frank.

Frank shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I told him he needed someone else… and then I said I'd have you call ORT."

Fenton crossed his arms in front of him and then laughed softly.

Frank looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"Do you know how hard it was for your brother to let you go off on that mission last summer?"

Frank shifted uncomfortably again. "I told him I wouldn't go if he needed me."

"But you went."

"Because he told me to go."

Fenton looked carefully at his son. "Do you think Joe still needed you last summer? The anniversary of his abduction by Laird? The anniversary of Morgan Harris' death? He told you to go because he knew you could handle it and he knew that he could handle the summer on his own, facing his own demons."

Frank looked away.

"He's strong, Frank. He let you go even though he was facing a hell of a summer. Yeah, you ended up together but he wasn't able to lean on you or talk to you. He made it through then; he'll make it through now. What he needs is our support."

Frank leaned his head back on the couch. "Did I blow it dad? He was so ticked off about me being overprotective."

"When has your brother ever been able to stay mad at you for a long time?"

Frank smiled. "Well there was that one time I put itching powder in his underwear."

Fenton actually laughed. "Yes. I do remember that. I think he stayed angry for all of two days."

"But this is more than itching powder."

"He'll work through it," Fenton said gently.

"Do you think I should go apologize?"

"What do you think?"

Frank shook his head. "He doesn't want to hear it tonight. It'll just wind him up before it's time to sleep. It'll just make his nightmares worse."

Fenton's eyes snapped to Frank's face. "What do you know about his nightmares?"

"Just that he still has them and he doesn't want to talk about them."

Fenton glanced to the stairwell. "Is that why you're worried?"

Frank shook his head. "No. His nightmares can't hurt him. It's the bad guys I'm worried about."

Both sat in silence for a few minutes and then Fenton asked, "Ready to go?"

Nodding, Frank said, "Not much reason to stay right now." Frank gave a last glance to the stairwell as he softly said, "Night, Joe," and then he left with his father.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** Well, hopefully, I posted the correct chapter this time! Thanks for all those who have left reviews! If you have time, be sure to leave one!

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Laura put down her e-reader when Fenton came into their bedroom over an hour later. "So, did they work whatever it is out?"

Fenton let out a whoosh of air as he began unbuttoning his shirt. "Not completely. Frank knows what he did was wrong and now it's just a matter of time for Joe to cool off and forgive him."

Laura smiled. "Well that's good because he can never stay mad at Frank for too long."

After laughing, Fenton said, "That's what I told Frank."

"So, can you tell me what it was about?"

Fenton didn't even hesitate; Laura would be finding out soon enough. "Joe will be getting some training in areas of his interest starting in the next week or so at the NYC office." Seeing Laura's concerned look, he said, "Jules is gone, and the agency has promised to pick him up and drop him off."

"That can't be what Frank's concern was."

"No," he said as he tossed his shirt into the hamper and grabbed a t-shirt to sleep in and quickly stripped out of his pants, leaving him in his boxers. He sat on top of the comforter and leaned against the headboard and reminisced a little. "You know the boys have gotten along so well the last couple years. The rivalry from middle school and early high school was over and it seemed like things would be smooth sailing." He turned and gave Laura a wry smile. "Joe will probably have a summer assignment and Frank isn't included in that assignment."

Laura sat up in concern. "Frank won't be with him? Who will be there?"

Fenton chuckled. "I wouldn't have that reaction in front of Joe because it didn't work so well for Frank."

Laura's mouth formed a perfect small "o" as she leaned back. "Protective older brother came on a little too strong?"

"Indeed. I heard the proposed assignment. I know the agent he'll be going with. I don't have any more concerns than usual. Frank wanted to call the agency and request either a reassignment or additional agents for the op."

Laura shook her head. "That would explain the raised voices I heard."

"I can only imagine how loud it was in the van when they had the first discussion."

Laura sighed. "Frank is still feeling guilty about what happened to Joe. Letting someone else watch out for his little brother goes against all his instincts right now. After all, who would protect Joe better than Frank?" She smiled at Fenton. "You think Joe will let it go?"

Fenton snorted. "You know he will if Frank just doesn't make things worse." He looked to his wife. "Frank's nineteen. Joe's eighteen. We have to let them work some things out and I think this is something they can get through on their own."

"Let's hope _we_ can get through it," Laura said as she patted his leg.

.**********.

 _The next afternoon (Thursday)…_

Joe was walking to where he parked the van in the BHS student lot when he stopped and stared at the van. Recovering from his surprise, he continued forward to stop about a yard from the driver's side. "What are you doing here?" Joe asked. His tone wasn't angry or upset… yet.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened last night and I didn't want to do it over the phone," Frank said with equal calm.

"Aren't you missing practice for tomorrow night's game?"

Frank gave a one shoulder shrug. "You know I'm not scheduled to pitch and I got permission from the coach. I got a cab here, so I'm hoping you'll drive me back to campus."

Joe gave a curt nod. He had been thinking about the blow-up himself. He knew from his sessions with Dr. Childers and Frank that his brother had some real issues with being unable to do more for him during his last abduction. That guilt was still very near the surface and instead of being understanding he had jumped all over his big brother. When they were both in the van, Joe adjusted the thermostat to cool off the slightly over-heated interior.

"I know I went too far," Frank began. "I'm sorry for making it sound like you were incapable of handling a mission without my help."

Joe shook his head in affirmation. "Yeah, you did go too far." He could see his brother's profile from his peripheral vision and saw the concern in Frank's face. "But you did it for the right reasons." Joe shook his head in a negative fashion and then leaned back in the seat and pressed his head to the headrest. He turned to face his brother and said, "You know we're heading into a dysfunctional relationship."

Frank actually laughed. "What?"

Joe smiled. "There are many that would say that our need to watch out for each other isn't healthy." Frank laughed and he continued. "It's true. I read it on the internet so it must be true," he said with a smile as Frank laughed out loud. "But you know. I think for what we've been through, it's actually normal and thankfully there just aren't enough brothers who've been through what we have to get a sample study."

Frank was really laughing now. "What in the world, Joe? I just wanted to apologize not be given a psychoanalysis from some internet study."

Joe continued to smile. "Well, Dr. Childers did direct me to one of the studies." He saw Frank's smile fade. "But don't worry, that study didn't say we were dysfunctional."

"What did it say?"

"Dr. Childers asked me to share it with you but I forgot until now. Basically the stuff we've already learned with him. Don't let guilt guide your actions. Don't overcompensate…."

"I am really sorry, Joe."

"I know. Let's let it drop, okay?"

"You know I'm still worried though," Frank said carefully.

"As long as you don't try to stop me or get in the way of my op," Joe said with a serious look at his brother. When Frank nodded, he started the van and began the drive to BC. The conversation moved to the safe topic of the upcoming game.

.**********.

The next week Joe was walking into the ORT garage housed well-below street-level. Walking up to the head mechanic, Jimmy Nasser, Joe held out his hand. Jimmy took it and pumped it strongly.

"Man, I am just so sorry about what happened to you. If I had only known what Tipton was up to when he hinted you'd like to attend the seminar-"

Joe's hand fell from Jimmy's as he interrupted. "What do you mean Jules told you?"

Jimmy looked perplexed for a moment. "I guess you haven't been given the update then."

"I haven't," Joe said seriously and was thinking he would need to have a talk with Agents Williams and Johnson.

"When Jules found out about the special training, he stopped by to ask me to invite you to the seminar. He said not to mention him."

Joe couldn't hide the blindside this information was to him as he worked to control his breathing which was coming a little quicker.

"Hey, are you okay? I didn't mean to throw that at you out of the blue," Jimmy said with true concern.

After drawing a deep breath, Joe said, "No, it's okay. Just caught me off-guard." He swallowed his anxiety and pasted on a smile that he had perfected over the last two years. "So tell me about this certification that I'll be getting."

Glad to have a chance to move the conversation in a different direction, Jimmy began to give Joe the rundown of his crash course in mechanics and the ASE certification he would get. It was going to be intensive and he would need to put in several Saturdays to get the needed time in, but it was doable with the experience he already had.

.**********.

When the training was completed for afternoon, Joe asked at the front desk to speak to either Agent Williams or Agent Johnson. But he was told that both agents were out of the office, so he left a message with both to call him when they were available.

It was as he was getting off the train in Bayport that he received a call from Agent Williams. "I had a message to call you. Is something wrong, Joe?"

Joe walked away from the noise of the commuters exiting the train and stood to the side in a well-lit area. "I was at ORT this afternoon for my training with Jimmy and he told me-" Joe stopped and caught his breath. "He told me that Jules was the one who suggested that I attend that mechanic seminar back in March." He stopped and waited for a response, when there was none, he asked, "Why didn't you tell me? What else don't I know?"

"To be honest, we thought we were sparing you, Joe." Before he could interrupt, she preempted him. "It was a debated topic and we erred on the side of caution after what you had been through. Lisa and Amber don't know everything either. However, Jules' sentencing will be coming up and it's time you were told. All of you."

Joe wasn't sure what to say.

"I'll contact your father to set up a meeting for you and your brother. We'll give you everything we have gathered."

"Thank you," Joe said quietly. "I'll wait to hear from dad about the meeting.

"We'll do it soon, Joe."

"Thanks," he said once again and hung up the phone. She had said they'd tell him everything they had gathered. How much more was there? A plastic grocery bag blew past him and onto the tracks. He flinched as he turned to watch its path. _Maybe they were right in keeping it from me_ , he thought as he moved toward the parking area and the van.

.**********.

 _The following week…_

Joe stood looking out the window of the conference room window. Agent Williams had spoken with Fenton and arranged to have the meeting at his office rather than at the ORT headquarters. Joe knew it was an attempt to make things easier for him. He was comfortable at his father's office, with his father and brother in attendance and if he did have… issues with the information that he was given, he would be home in a short amount of time. This was fine; this small bit of concern for him wasn't a problem. Joe jumped slightly when the door opened and his father and Williams walked in. He drew a deep breath; he hadn't even heard them approaching down the hallway. A glance to his brother who was seated at the table showed that he too had been slightly startled. Frank was probably just as tense as he was to hear the information.

Agent Williams had a seat at the table and looked to Joe who remained standing. "I think I'll stand," Joe said in response to her unasked question. She nodded as Fenton sat across the table from Frank.

Williams then proceeded to lay out the plan that Jules Tipton had devised. Jules had learned of the mechanic's seminar and had dropped a hint to the head mechanic that Joe might be interested but not to mention him as he wanted Joe to be invited on his own merits not his recommendation. Joe had snorted at this but Williams continued. Jules had already been in contact with the pickpocket, Kincaid, and had him at the ready for when the abduction would occur. Kincaid had had the fake wallet for about a month before things fell into place. The lure of having his record wiped clean had been a strong pull for the thief. Getting RJ Couch on board had taken more time. In fact, ORT wasn't sure how long Jules had been feeding small bits of info to the Sacco family member. But they did know that three months previously, Jules had given RJ information on a seized drug shipment. This was what had probably made RJ so willing to take what his informant had been giving him as truth.

As soon as the discussion had turned to RJ, Joe had turned away from the table to look out the window. His arms were crossed in front of him and his eyes were closed. Memories of RJ taunting him with being Alex Fortune played back in his mind until he heard his father.

"Do you need a break, Joe?"

Keeping his back to the table still, Joe shook his head no. He didn't trust his voice to be steady.

Silence enveloped the room for a moment and then Williams continued to lay out the remaining pieces of the plan. Then Joe's eyes snapped open as Williams told him something that was completely unexpected.

"We've reopened the murder case regarding Jules' younger brother, Charles Tipton."

"What?" Frank asked in confusion. "Why?"

"It couldn't be proven at the time, but it was thought that Charles had been killed accidentally by a mob family in Boston. Like I said, it was just a small theory based on an informant's information to the Boston PD." Williams looked at Joe's back. "After what happened with Joe and in light of the fact that we now know Jules' feelings toward his own brother, we thought it prudent to check back into this."

Joe turned carefully to face the three seated at the table. "You think he set up his own brother?" His voice indicated how difficult this was to believe.

"I believe it," Frank said with certainty. "With all the things he said about his brother and how cold-blooded he was in Joe's abduction-" Frank stopped and shook his head. "When I was in the office with Jules trying to get him to incriminate himself, he didn't seem at all upset and he KNEW that Joe was most likely being tortured and killed at that very moment." Frank stared at his hands on the table. "I believe it."

Williams nodded.

"So what's going to happen to Jules?" Fenton asked the question they all wanted an answer to.

"He knows too much about ORT to be put into the general prison population. He has been presented with the case against him and he will be sent to a private maximum security facility that houses criminals that know too much about agencies that need to be secret." Williams looked at each of them. "It's not a spa. He'll be doing time, but he won't be able to blow any agent's cover or slip secrets out. You won't see or hear from him again."

The three Hardy men nodded.

"I can live with that," Joe said. And as the agent said her good-byes, he knew that he could.

.**********.

Instead of taking Frank directly back to BC, he drove to the overlook on Shore Road. He could sense Frank's unease once again at his choice of spots to 'think.' He wondered if going to the old tree house in the backyard would have been better. "I know I'm okay with Jules' sentence. How about you?"

Frank looked out over the bay. "No. I'm not okay with it. He almost killed you, Joe, and to think that he had his own brother killed…." Frank's words died out. "I'm not okay with it, but I can live with it." He turned to face his brother.

Joe gave him a nod and then started up the van.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** Short chapter. Sorry. I'll try to post Thursday night to make up for the short chapter. Thanks to Cherylann Rivers, max2013, and Barb for the reviews! Now just so you know, there IS such a thing a sniper school but NO I have not attended. Everything in my story is from my imagination as to how it would work.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

The group of friends still attending BHS met at the end of the school year with a combination of excitement and melancholy. Excitement at starting college and making progress toward a career and sadness at the fact that there wouldn't be the usual weekly gatherings once the fall semester began. When Frank and his peers had graduated, only Phil went to a college out of town. Now, Iola, Biff, and Tony would be out of town as well.

The graduation ceremony had been on a Saturday and now it was Sunday afternoon and Joe was bringing his suitcase downstairs. ORT had been serious when they said they wanted him to get his sniper training immediately after graduation. Joe was catching a flight to Wyoming where he'd attend what was basically sniper school. Fenton and Frank knew the exact type of training that Joe would get. They had all looked the company up online and seen the course types and what was involved. Laura Hardy, however, had only been told that he was getting some firearms training. None of the Hardy men believed that Laura would be pleased that Joe was being trained as a sniper, even if he didn't plan to be one.

Fenton wasn't under any illusions though. If ORT was footing the bill for sniper training for Joe and they were in a spot where he was the only option, Fenton knew they'd be knocking on Joe's door. He'd shared the concerns with Joe and had been pleasantly surprised to learn that Joe had already taken that into consideration. Fenton thought back to the conversation.

 _"_ _Dad, I understand that they have ulterior motives for providing this training," Joe had said when his father had asked him to stop by his office._

 _"_ _They may try to pressure you into doing something you're not comfortable with," Fenton said carefully._

 _"_ _That's true, and I know I may have to stand my ground. But taking a shot doesn't always mean that you're shooting to kill," Joe responded. He gave his father a wry but sad smile as he said, "And it might be a shot I'm willing to take."_

 _Fenton had been somewhat shocked at that response and hadn't said anything for a moment as Joe went to exit the office. But then he recovered, "But , Joe-"_

 _"_ _Dad," Joe broke in and glanced over his shoulder at his father. "In Whitaker's State Park, do you think that Sam was planning on a shot to wound Marilyn? Mom wasn't, and neither was I."_

Joe had walked out and closed the door behind him. He hadn't waited for Fenton's answer because he already knew it. Sam would have shot to kill in order to protect Joe from the obvious threat. And what could Fenton say? His wife had killed Marilyn and he knew that she'd do it again to protect her sons. So who was he to question Joe about something like that? The sixteen year old boy that had agonized over the thought he would have killed Dominic Laird on the Lake Superior shoreline was gone. It was sad that it had happened and he hoped that Joe never had to make a choice like that. But he prayed that if the day came, that Joe could live with the memories.

Fenton watched Joe put the suitcase on the floor and give his mother a hug. Then he walked over to Fenton and gave him one too. "Take care, Joe."

"I will," Joe said back.

"Time to go." Frank stood at the door with Joe's suitcase now in his hand. Looking at Laura, Frank asked, "Anything you need me to pick up on the way home?"

"No," Laura said quietly.

Fenton walked to the door with his wife and waved at their sons as they left.

.**********.

Frank parked the van and walked with Joe over to the small Bayport terminal. Once Joe checked in, they went to the small line that had formed for the security check. "Guess this is it," Frank said.

Joe laughed. "I'm just going to be gone for two weeks, Frank. I'll be fine."

Letting out a deep breath, Frank responded with a matching smile to his brother's. "Yeah, I know. It's just that I still-"

Joe broke in, "Yeah, I know. And you _have_ gotten better. This isn't an undercover operation. I can email, text, and call you guys while I'm gone."

"Yeah, about that. Would you mind?"

Laughing again, Joe said, "I'll be sure to text you at least once a day. Maybe when I come back in one piece from this, you'll see that trouble doesn't find me everywhere I go."

Frank groaned. "You just had to go and say that, didn't you?"

Joe pulled his brother into a hug and said, "Back in one piece; I promise."

"Holding you to that."

Joe nodded and proceeded to the security line.

.**********.

Later that night Joe flopped onto the twin bed in his room, his mind swimming with information. These guys didn't play around when they did training. He had barely gotten his suitcase in his room when one of the trainers came by to introduce himself and to take him away for a video that all participants had to watch. It was some sort of requirement by the company regarding safety, emergency rules, and disclaimers. After signing more releases, Joe was taken to a room where he selected his specialized rifle for the weekend. He was told he could purchase it at the end of the training if he wanted to. The other nine participants had also been introduced to him. They had all eaten and then been sent back to their rooms. They were to be in the cafeteria by 5:30 a.m. and training would begin promptly at 6:00.

Glancing around the room, Joe saw that it contained the basics: bed, nightstand, chair, small dresser, and closet. He did like the fact that he had his own bathroom. Overall, the room was very small but then it was primarily for sleeping as there was a common room with a tv and seating.

Joe put his arms behind his head and stared up at the popcorn ceiling with its one light fixture and single water sprinkler. The other participants were interesting and he looked forward to learning more about them. He had known prior to his arrival that each person would be given a ranking at the end. While he knew it would be of interest to ORT, it was of even greater interest to him.

Joe sat up on the bed and reached over to the nightstand to grab his phone and dialed. He wasn't surprised when his mother picked up rather quickly. With a smile on his face, he said, "I'm here and I'm fine, mom." He had already texted them all when his plane had landed but he wanted to talk to his brother about how things were.

"Of course they are," Laura said with an obvious sigh of relief. "I'll get your brother because I'm sure you want to talk with him."

"Well, yeah, but I don't mind talking with you, mom."

"I just needed to know you made it there fine. I'm content now." A slight pause and then, "Frank!"

Moments later Frank's voice came over the line. "Doin' okay, Joe?"

"No problems. The place looks just like it does on the internet. They didn't fudge a thing."

"So have you met any of the other participants?" Joe could hear the curiosity in his brother's voice.

"Yeah, I met them all tonight. There's ten of us total. I'm the only one who's supposed to be from ATF."

"Makes sense," Frank said. "Wouldn't want any other ATF people there asking you ATF stuff you couldn't answer. So what are they like?"

"There are two guys here for training for special forces, two CIA, and five for SWAT. I can't believe I'm here with them, seriously."

Frank chuckled, "You had to demonstrate you knew your way around a firearm before you went, so you shouldn't be surprised."

Joe leaned forward on his bed and swung his hand around in the air even though Frank couldn't see it. "You don't understand. These guys, well guys and girl, live and breathe shooting-"

"Wait a minute. Did you say, 'girl?'" Frank asked with interest.

"Yeah, Cassidy. She's with the NYPD SWAT. And I'm serious. They were all asking each other about what weapon they brought. I'm the only one using a rifle that isn't my own."

Frank whistled and then responded. "But, Joe. These people are going to be depending on their gun for their survival on a regular basis. You're training is for a different reason. You gotta remember that."

Joe settled down and said, "You're right. It was just kinda weird, you know."

"Not really," Frank said with a laugh. "But you'll do fine."

Joe smiled and relaxed. "Thanks, Frank."

"Anytime."

"I'll check in again with you soon. Not sure what the schedule is yet except tomorrow morning we have to be in the cafeteria by 5:30." Joe stopped for a moment and frowned as his brother's laughter carried clearly over the line. "Hey! I _can_ get up!"

"I guess you'd better. I'm sure being tardy wouldn't be looked at with favor by the instructors."

Joe immediately turned to the alarm on the nightstand and started figuring out how to set it.

After a few moments of silence, Frank said, "Joe? What are you doing?"

"Setting my alarm."

Frank's laughter carried over the line once again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

Saturday night finally arrived and with it a chance for a break after a week of intense training. The instructors had been drilling them nonstop it seemed since their first full day. Joe had been surprised when the first day only entailed an hour of shooting and the rest was spent looking at maps and discussing terrain and distance and then lots of math. He had never been so glad of his strong inclination for math as he was during those sessions with the instructors. At times they used computers to determine targeting sequences, but they also had to do it in their head. Joe was always the fastest with his answers but everyone was close behind him except for one of the participants who seemed to have a problem with the mental math.

The training had continued each day with early start times and lessons in the classroom and on the range. Joe had especially enjoyed the construction of a ghillie suit for camouflage. He was looking forward to testing it out in the field next week. But for now the training was over.

"So are you ready for a night on the town, Hardy?" Sam Mueling called out. "You know we're counting on you to be our designated driver." His laughter sounded across the room as he added, "For those of us who will be coming back here tonight."

Joe shook his head and smiled at Sam who stood at an even height with him. "I'm ready and I'll haul your butt back here and put you to bed if I need to." He really liked the twenty-three year old African American who was in the military special forces.

"I'm hoping someone else in town may put me to bed instead," he said with a laugh.

Twenty-one year old freckled-face Jacob Yates agreed. "Yeah, I'm hoping to take a taxi back here tomorrow morning."

Still smiling, Joe responded, "Well, just text me or tell me what your plans are. I'll be leaving town at 1:00 a.m. with or without you."

"Let's go then," one of the group called as they headed out to the school's passenger van. This was the only night that team members were allowed off-campus. They had to be back at the facility by 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening.

Thirty minutes later, Joe was pulling into the parking area of an establishment that was part Old West saloon, part restaurant, and part club. The instructors had suggested it as it would be a place where Joe could go but the others would still get their club experience. Joe looked at the sign advertising the name of the establishment and laughed again at it.

"What?" Cassidy asked as she fell into step beside him.

Joe glanced over to her and smiled, "Just that name."

Laughing again, Cassidy said, "Yeah, 'The More Shots the Better' is a great name for a bar but an awful thing for a sniper."

Joe smiled at her as they followed the group in. Joe was tagged as under-age with a wristband that was a different color than the others. The group dispersed but Cassidy hung with Joe. "Want to join me?" he asked her as he moved toward a seating area along the wall.

"Sure."

A waitress was soon at their table and Joe ordered a Coke while Cassidy ordered a Long Island iced tea.

Cassidy looked to Joe and said, "I don't plan on getting drunk, but after this week, I need a drink."

"No problem," Joe said as he glanced around to locate the exits as well as his teammates.

"Spotted them all?" Cassidy asked as she too looked around.

"MmHmm," Joe responded.

As their drinks were delivered, Cassidy asked, "Did you also spot all the girls who are looking your way?"

Joe's head turned slowly in Cassidy's direction as he looked around one last time. "They're just checking out the new guys who came in. They're doing the same to other guys."

Cassidy looked around, "Yeah, but some are still looking at you."

Joe shrugged. "I've got a girlfriend at home. I'm not looking to flirt." He looked into Cassidy's eyes. "How about you? There're guys looking at you."

She laughed as she looked around. "Hmmmm. Nope."

He took a drink from his Coke. Cassidy was interesting, no doubt. She was a pretty girl who could talk tactics and weapons at the same level of the guys. She was definitely popular around the common room with most of the guys. Aiden Watson was probably the only guy besides Joe that didn't seem interested and that was because Aiden was married. "One of the guys from school?" he asked.

Cassidy laughed softly as she continued to look around, "Guess you could say that."

Joe followed her gaze trying to pick out the guy but couldn't pinpoint which one.

"So you're really not interested in any of the girls here?"

"To copy your answer, nope. Told you. Got a girlfriend," Joe answered as he looked back to her.

Her gaze locked with his as she said, "Even though you could have _any_ girl here?"

The way she was looking at him left no doubt as to what she meant.

Joe shook his head no and said, "I don't cheat and I don't want to."

Cassidy smiled and said, "You really are an all-American dream, Joe Hardy. Blonde hair, blue eyes, handsome, patriotic… the list goes on."

"Cassidy-"

She didn't seem at all offended as she broke in. "It's okay, Joe. I had a feeling you'd turn me down." After a short pause, she asked, "Is it Iola?" She laughed and said, "I've never heard that name before except in some detective series. I'm not even sure if I'm pronouncing it correctly. What?" she asked.

"How do you even know her name?" Joe asked as he pushed his Coke away and leaned back.

Cassidy shrugged. "I've Googled everyone in the group and you are by far, the most interesting." She paused, "So is it her?"

Joe thought for a moment and said, "No. We broke up last year."

Leaning forward and putting her arms on the table. "Why do I get the feeling there's even more to you than that abduction?" She leaned back when Joe didn't say anything. "Strong silent type as well."

Joe laughed. "No, that would be my brother, Frank. I'm not known for my silence usually." Joe wasn't worried about what Cassidy knew. There was only so much you could learn off of the internet without being a hacker.

Cassidy began swirling her drink with the small straw. "Are you really ATF?"

"Of course," Joe replied with a serious expression. Cassidy pushed her drink out in front of her so she could place her arms on the table and lean forward. "How did you get into the ATF and sniper school at eighteen? It has to more than just being Fenton Hardy's son."

"Would it be immodest to say I'm just that good?" Joe smiled and raised an eyebrow at her.

Leaning back and laughing, Cassidy said, "You're not going to tell me are you?"

"Nothing more to tell."

"Say it all you want, Joe, but I'm not believing it. However, I'll let it go because I know you're not going to tell me anything else."

Joe just took a drink from his glass and turned his attention back to the dance floor.

.**********.

One a.m. arrived and Joe and Aiden helped a very drunk Sam to the van while Cassidy walked to the van with Gary. The other six were either taking cabs back that night or the next day. Sam threw up just before he got into the van.

"Whew!" Cassidy said fanning in front of her face. "I'm so glad he got that out before we got in the van. Can we sit him up front so he can throw up out the window if he needs to?"

Everyone agreed with Cassidy and so Sam was belted into the front seat and the window rolled down. It would be a long trip back if he threw up inside the van.

Back at the facility, Gary headed off to his room and while Aiden, Joe, and Cassidy got Sam to his room. Joe thanked Aiden for his help and then walked with Cassidy to the area where their rooms were located.

"Thanks for helping with Sam," Joe said as he stopped at his door.

"No problem although I didn't do much. You and Sam did it all. Gary wasn't much help," she said with a frown.

It was pretty well-known that unless something radical happened, Gary Older would be number ten in the rankings. He was a good shot, but had difficulties with the math as well as making good plans regarding terrain and shot selection.

"Well, at least we didn't have to haul him back," Joe said with a smile.

"True." She looked at Joe's door and then back to his face. "Would it do any good for me to ask one more time?"

"No. The answer's the same."

Cassidy stuck out her hand. "Friends then?"

"Friends," Joe said and shook her hand. He didn't think of her as desperate or pushy. She was the type of girl who saw something she wanted and went after it. He shook his head as he closed his door behind him. She just picked the wrong guy to go after this time. He pulled out his phone and touched the screen so that he could look at his wallpaper. It was a picture of Vanessa that had been taken at the Valentine's dance. He smiled and then turned off the phone. No regrets on his part.

.**********.

The second week of school passed in what seemed to Joe like record time. After Monday, they were paired up with the top five being paired with the bottom five. Aiden was in the number one spot and had been paired with Gary in the number ten spot. Joe and Cassidy were numbers four and five and had been paired with the number seven and six persons. The last four days of the training would be done in pairs with one being the sniper and one being the spotter.

Joe fell into bed exhausted each night. The group socialized only a little bit during the evening as they were so tired and they also could work with their partner. Joe had been happy with his pairing as Jacob was good at everything in general, he just lacked speed when it was needed and sometimes he hesitated a moment too long and missed the prime shot and had to take a more difficult shot. But when they were allowed to watch each other's performances, he figured they were as good or better than most of the others.

When the final rankings were revealed the night before they were all to leave, Aiden had maintained the top spot. Sam had stayed at his second position but Joe and Cassidy had moved up to take third and fourth respectively.

After dinner, Joe made a call to his brother and gave him the good news. "I finished in third, Frank! Third! Can you believe it?!"

Frank laughed. "Yeah, I can believe. You can do pretty much anything you want when you set your mind to it."

Joe paced his room. "Yeah, but I came in right behind the special forces guys, and I did better than all the rest."

"Well, I'm glad this hasn't gone to your head," Frank joked.

"Come on man! Let me enjoy it a little!"

"I'm just kidding with you, Joe. You know I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." He was silent for a moment. "I may need your help with something when I get home."

"What?"

"I bought my gun and it'll be shipped to Bayport."

Frank whistled. "How am I supposed to help with that?"

"I don't know. Help me with mom if she finds out?"

"What do you mean IF she finds out?"

Joe paused. "You're right. I have to tell her and dad. So I guess I want you to be there when I tell them."

"I don't think she'll be upset that you bought a gun. Both she and dad own them."

"Yeah, I know. I guess I'm just worried because she'll think I plan to go out and use it."

"Well, what are you going to do with it if not use it?" Frank asked curiously.

"I guess I just want to have it, in case I do have to use it," Joe paused a moment. "The guys that were top two really knew their own gun. I had to learn mine. It can make a difference if you're called upon to use it."

"Joe, do you think ORT will ask you to use it?" Concern tinged Frank's voice now.

"I don't think I'll be first choice. But if I'm the best choice; yeah, I think they will."

"How do you feel about that?"

Joe paused. "I don't know."

.**********.

Ten minutes later, Frank finished the conversation with his brother. He sat looking at the cell phone in his hand. His brother was buying a sniper rifle. Correction. His brother had _already bought_ a sniper rifle and seemed prepared to use it if he needed to. Two years ago his brother wouldn't have even considered such a thing. His brother had changed so much, but then so had he.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** Thanks to those who have reviewed! I appreciate it! I know there are more reading than reviewing so if you get the chance, drop a review! This chapter is short so I may post early... if I get a few more reviews. ;-D

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

Laura gave Joe a big hug as he walked through the door. "I'm so glad you're home!" Releasing him, she said, "I can't believe you'll be going off on your operation next week. Seems like you should be home with me longer than that."

Joe smiled at his mom as he came into the house and dropped his suitcase. Frank followed him and closed the door. "Well, I promise to be here for every meal until I leave."

Frank snorted.

Joe frowned at his brother. "And just what did that mean, brother?"

Frank raised both hands in the air. "Just admiring what a sacrifice you're making there."

Smiling, Joe turned their mother. "Make my favorites this week?"

Laura couldn't help but smile at her son. "Some of yours and some of Frank's. He'll be going out in a couple weeks himself."

Joe's smile faded from his lips as he turned to his brother. "You've got a mission?"

Sensing that the conversation was going to get a little tense, Laura said, "I'm going to work on supper. You two don't get into anything before then."

"Of course not, mom," Frank said as she left the room.

"So? What gives? Why didn't you tell me?"

Frank motioned to the couch and once they were seated he asked, "Would you be willing to wait until we can have Vanessa here too?"

"Why would I need-" Joe sat back. "Are you and Vanessa going on an op together?" When Frank didn't answer, Joe asked, "When did you find out?"

"We just learned about it Thursday."

Joe's brows drew together as he carefully asked, "What's your mission and what's your cover?"

"Sure you can't wait for Vanessa?"

"Frank." Joe's voice was tense and impatient.

"Okay, okay. We're going to a corporation in Boston to work as interns in order to tap into their internal files. Our cover is college students from NYU." Frank drew a deep breath and said, "And we're dating."

Joe stood up quickly and threw his hands up in the air. "What the hell, Frank!"

Laura's head popped back through the kitchen. "Joe! Watch your language." She looked at the pair and said, "Work it out before supper and do it without yelling." She disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Listen, Joe. I didn't ask for the assignment to be this way. Do you think either one of us wanted it like that?" Frank looked up at his brother's back.

Turning to face his brother, but not looking him in the eye, Joe said, "I know you wouldn't." He sat back down but still looked away from Frank. "Will you be-" he paused and then continued, "Will you be living together?"

"No," Frank said quietly. "We'll have separate housing, but we needed to have a reason for being together when we're seen." He waited a moment and added, "You and Vanessa haven't been very vocal about your relationship at ORT so I don't believe this was intentional."

Joe leaned his head back on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. "I know. We just thought it would be best if they didn't know we were serious."

"I know you're afraid that they won't assign you together if you're dating."

"Did you tell them?"

Frank shook his head. "No. We wanted to talk to you first. In person. Vanessa and I think we should tell ORT. They'll eventually find out and it's better if it comes from us."

Joe nodded his agreement. "I have a meeting at ORT tomorrow. I'll tell them then."

"Are you okay with this?" Frank asked softly.

Joe's eyes looked up to meet his brother's. "Am I okay with you kissing my girlfriend?" He saw Frank flinch a little. "No. But then, I'd rather it be you than some other agent assigned on the case. At least I can trust you with her."

Frank let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. "I promise we'll limit the PDA. I'm sure that it won't look realistic to anyone watching."

"Are you telling Callie?"

"I'm telling her that I'm going on a mission with Vanessa and that's it."

Joe looked at Frank speculatively. "She knows that Vanessa and I were very close on our mission together. What if she asks you if it's similar?"

Frank remembered back to when Vanessa moved into town. It had been obvious that Joe and Vanessa were pretty close and Callie had made some comments about how she was glad that Vanessa had been Joe's partner and not his. It could get a little awkward for him with his girlfriend. "She knows I love her and that this is just a mission."

Joe continued to stare at his brother. "A mission where you will probably have to kiss your brother's girlfriend."

Frank shifted uncomfortably. "I'll tell ORT I can't do the mission."

"No way. Do the mission. I trust you and Vanessa. Keep her safe for me, Frank." Joe gave a small smile. "If Callie asks, I'll let her know that I don't have any concerns about you 'dating' Vanessa."

Frank groaned. "Please don't phrase it like that!"

"How's this: I'm sure if they kiss each other, they'll be thinking of us."

Frank laughed and shook his head. "I think it would be best if you just kept silent on the matter, Joe."

Laura's head popped back through the door. "I need some help peeling veggies. Since I heard laughter, I figured it was safe to ask for help."

"No problem mom."

"Glad to help."

Both of the boys headed to the kitchen. Each with his own concerns about the up-coming missions.

.**********.

Later that evening, Joe and Vanessa sat on her front porch, neither one of them looking at the other. They had talked briefly on the phone and she knew that Frank had told him about the mission.

"Joe, you know that Frank and I- You know that we don't- " Vanessa groaned out loud and threw her head back.

Joe chuckled. "Van, it's okay. I know you don't want to kiss my brother and he doesn't want to kiss you." He shrugged, still looking at the porch flooring. "Do I want to get all the details from you when you return? Not really. But then some part of me will want to know, will be wondering… just what _did_ they do?" He finally looked over to her. "Frank offered to take himself off the mission, but the truth is, I trust you more with him than with anyone else."

"Oh, Joe," Vanessa reached over and put her hand on his leg. "You know that I'd rather be on the mission with you."

"I know. But I also have to know that this might not be the only mission where you, or I for that matter, are assigned with another agent where we have to pretend to be romantically involved. After all, I kissed you on a mission when I was still dating Iola. I didn't look at it as cheating on her."

"I know. It's just- it's your _brother_ for heaven's sake!" Vanessa said as her faced flushed.

"You flirted with him last summer on the mission."

"And it was extremely uncomfortable!"

Joe frowned, "Why?"

Vanessa's blush continued. "I had a week to at least to get to know you, I didn't know Frank. Now I know Frank but he's your brother-"

"You don't have to keep saying it. I know he's my brother and I know you are both extremely uncomfortable with this." He shook his head, "Maybe this type of thing will be the reason we get out of ORT. I wouldn't like you kissing on different guys every time you go on a mission."

"Yeah. I don't want you kissing on other girls either. Maybe we need to let ORT know that we can only do missions that require romantic involvement with each other," Vanessa said thoughtfully.

"You think they'd go for it?" Joe turned and looked at her.

Vanessa looked at her boyfriend who had all sorts of skills that now included sniper training. "Yeah, I think they would." What she didn't say was that she thought they'd do a lot to keep Joe and if that meant limiting her missions, she thought they'd do it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Note:** Some of you may have noticed that I've started posting a Voltron story. Don't worry, this one is still going! Still on the same posting schedule. :-) Once I finish writing the Voltron story, I'll be back at work on the next HB story. I have one chapter written for that and actual outline of how the story will go! (An outline is something I've never used before, so I'll see whether I like it or not.)

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 _Monday, Joe's meeting with ORT…_

Agent Keo Johnson sat down across the table from Joe and placed his tablet in front of him. "So you've had a chance to look over the files we sent you?"

"Yes, sir," Joe replied.

Keo leaned back. "Tell me your name and where you're from."

"Jake Remarque. I'm from Hazleton, PA."

"Why did you move to Virginia?"

"My mom, Laura, divorced my dad during the winter and she gets to have me during the summer while I stay with dad during the school year."

"And how do you feel about the arrangement and the divorce?"

"I'm fine staying with my mom for the summer and I'd rather not talk about the divorce."

"If someone pushes are you ready to answer?"

"Yeah," Joe said calmly. "My dad cheated on my mom and that's all I'll say about it."

Johnson nodded. "Are you prepared to talk about your training for the mechanical certification you received?"

"Jimmy told me all the right things to say. I'm ready."

"Well, you proved you could handle yourself in an undercover situation last summer. Just remember, when in doubt, the less said, the better."

"Understood sir."

"Now, let's talk about-"

"Sir?" Joe interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute about something else?"

Johnson leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Certainly, Joe. What is it?"

Joe paused, suddenly uncertain how to proceed. He thought he had it worked out, but now that it was time to speak, he was having problems getting the words out. "It's Vanessa," he finally said. "We're dating."

"And?" Johnson asked.

"She's going on an op with my brother where they have to act romantically involved."

"What are you expecting, Joe? For us to pull one of them from the operation?"

"No," Joe said quickly. "I don't expect you to alter a mission because of this, but I was hoping that in the future Vanessa and I could be paired together if there was a need for the cover to be romantic."

Johnson sat quietly which made Joe nervous as he waited for a response. "You know that agents dating each other causes all sorts of difficulties, Joe. Not just in this scenario. But let's look at this one first." He paused and waited for Joe to look at him. "You didn't have problems being in a romantic situation with Vanessa when you were dating Iola but now that Vanessa is the one with the romantic interest, you have a problem."

Joe shifted uncomfortably.

"Or is that she has to be romantic with your brother?"

"You're right that I don't like her being romantic with anyone but me even though I was okay when it was me in that position. You're also right that I don't like that it's with my brother. I mean, seriously, sir. Would you want your girlfriend kissing your brother?"

Johnson couldn't resist a smile as he answered. "No, Joe. I wouldn't like it one bit. But then, if I knew it was part of the job when I signed up…" He let his voice trail off. When Joe dropped his head, he said, "It's okay, son. We weren't totally oblivious to your increasingly close relationship to Agent Bender. But she and Frank are perfect for this assignment and you know that we gave them separate housing."

"Yes, sir. I was glad of that."

"We'll keep your relationship in mind for future reference when looking at assignments. Now, back to your mission and something that could make things a little awkward for you as well."

"What is it?"

"Agent Williams sent in an update this week that mentions the dealership's sales manager has a seventeen year old daughter."

"Please tell me she doesn't hang out in the service department." Joe pleaded as he sat back in his chair.

"Indeed she does. Seems she likes to flirt with the high school boys who come to work there. Over the past two years she's managed to get two of them fired before their six week internship was up."

"Great," Joe said as he rubbed his hand across his face. "Just great."

"You'll have to watch out for her, but you know that her father is one of our prime suspects so if a little flirting could get you some needed information…." Johnson's voice trailed off.

"I got it, sir." Joe listened carefully as Johnson went over his upcoming trip to Chesapeake.

On his train trip back to Bayport, he worked on how he would tell Vanessa that she might not be the only one kissing someone else this summer. Back when he and Frank signed up for ORT, it had seemed like undercover work would be right up their alley. However, they hadn't considered all the facets of the assignments.

.**********.

"So how'd it go?" Frank asked Joe when he arrived home.

Joe motioned for his brother to join him on the back deck. "Good and bad."

"Why don't you start with the bad?"

"I'd rather start with the good."

Frank rolled his eyes, "Then start there."

"ORT will take into consideration that Vanessa and I are dating when they plan future missions."

"Well that is good. What's the bad?"

"Seems like you and Vanessa might not be the only ones kissing this summer."

Frank's brows drew together. "What?"

"There's a teenage girl that likes to flirt with the high school mechanic interns."

"Ohhhhhh."

"Johnson basically told me to flirt if it would help get information. But she tends to do more than flirt," Joe said with a shake of his head.

"How do you know?"

"Johnson sent me some information on her that I read on the way back. She got two guys fired. Not all the details were there, but one involved the back of one of the cars being worked on and a lack of clothing."

Frank whistled. "That doesn't sound good."

"Not for me." He looked at his brother as he leaned back against the rail. "What are the odds that she won't be interested in me?" At his brother's laugh, he said with a smile, "Being the handsome brother can be a curse."

Frank laughed as he turned to go back in the house. "Yeah? Well, I'd rather be on your assignment and have you on mine."

"Me too, bro. Me too," Joe said as he followed his brother in.

.**********.

The following Sunday found Joe on a plane flying out of Harrisburg, PA, to Norfolk, VA, by way of Atlanta. _Crazy airline connections,_ Joe thought as he finally got off the plane in Norfolk. But his ticket and arrival gate needed to match his cover even if no one ever checked on it.

Joe pulled his carry-on duffel bag over his shoulder and headed toward the baggage claim area where he was to meet Angela. As he neared the area, he spotted her. Thankfully, Agent Johnson had shown Joe pictures of Angela in her current undercover role. It wasn't a huge change, but he rarely saw the agent with her hair down and she was always dressed in business attire. He actually smiled as he walked up to her and she pulled him down to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Almost didn't recognize you," he whispered with a smile.

She winked and said, "It's the lovely southern weather. It puts roses in my cheeks."

Joe looked at her and realized she did have a little more color and with her blonde hair down, framing her face, she looked different. Her blue eyes were brought out by the royal blue t-shirt she was wearing and Joe realized that they did indeed look like they could be mother and son. In fact, she could pass as his mother's sister if needed. His gaze moved to the luggage conveyor as a buzzer sounded and a light flashed. The belt started moving and luggage began making its way around the carousel.

Once his bags came around she took one while Joe took the other.

As they rolled the bags toward the parking garage, she said, "I hope you like the place I've picked out, Jake."

"I'm sure I will… mom." Even to Joe's ears, it sounded contrived but Angela never batted an eye.

"We'll work on that," she said as she smiled at him.

"Thanks. I didn't expect that to be a problem. I just need to get used to it."

"Well, you'll need to sound at least a little more natural soon. We'll be meeting with the dealership about your spot in just a couple of days and I'll be going with you to sign off on some of the paperwork."

"Understood," Joe said.

Agent Willams pressed the remote and the back of the SUV started to rise as they neared it. As Joe was putting the luggage in, she took his arm and said, "It'll be okay, Jake. We'll get through this together."

Anyone who could have been listening would have just thought it was about the divorce and the move south. Joe knew that the agent was trying to put him at ease and it worked. The smile returned to his face as he closed the hatch.

.**********.

 _Three days later…_

"Well, I think that about does it," Terrence Lattimer said as he stood. Across the desk from him, Laura and Jake Remarque stood as well. "With the paperwork signed and your outstanding recommendations, you can start when you're ready. Just talk to Lucas in the Service Department to get on the schedule. Since you'll be doing direct supervision work the first week, you can pretty much pick your time. We open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 6:00 p.m."

Joe stuck out his hand and said, "Thanks a lot, Mr. Lattimer. Having this internship will help a lot when I go back to Hazleton."

"Certainly, Jake. We like having interns and some of them we hire, so perhaps you might be looking to stay on."

Joe noticed that Lattimer's eyes weren't on him but on his 'mother.' Obviously her good looks had caught his eye.

"Let me introduce you to a few people on the way out," Lattimer said as they left his office. He stopped at the next office and said, "Billy, let me introduce to Laura and Jake Remarque. Jake will be interning in the Service Dept. Jake, Laura, this is William Newman our Sales Manager."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Newman," Joe said.

Billy stood and smiled at them and said, "Please, call me Billy."

"Yes, sir," Joe responded and moved out of the way as Lattimer led the way down the hall stopping to introduce them to several staff. Five minutes later they were at the service area and once Joe had been introduced to Lucas Smith, Lattimer had taken Angela's arm and offered to show her some of the new vehicles while Jake set up his schedule.

Joe turned when he heard Lucas laugh. "What?"

"Nothing," Lucas replied but then added anyway, "Your mom's pretty."

"Yeah, she is," Joe said and then looked back at Angela and Lattimer as they moved away. _Well, I guess 'mom' can flirt too if it can get some information._ Joe turned back to Lucas and set up his schedule for the week. He would come in early in the mornings at 6:00 a.m. this week and work to 3:00. If that didn't turn up anything he'd work the later shift the next week.

"And just a word to the wise," Lucas said as Joe turned to go. "Mr. Newman's daughter, Kristen, comes in here around lunch and closing time."

"Yeah? So?"

"I'm not saying anything but just watch out."

Joe nodded and said, "Thanks." Well, looks like he and Angela would both have a chance to flirt and he wasn't looking forward to it. Getting into the car he couldn't help but grin. "Looks like Mr. Lattimer likes you, mom."

Agent Williams chuckled, "Looks that way. I have a date with him Saturday night."

"What?" Joe turned in his seat toward her. "Seriously?"

"Seriously. It's like we told you. You use what you have."

Uncertain just how far the agents were willing to go, Joe hesitantly asked, "It's just a date right?"

Angela turned to him with a frown. "For now it's just a date." She let it drop. So did Joe.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 _Friday morning…_

Joe and Lucas were under the hood of car when a whistle was heard behind them. The older man rolled his eyes at Joe and said, "I'm sure that whistle was for you and not me. Just you be careful." Lucas pulled out from under the hood and said, "Mornin', Kristen."

"Morning, Lucas. Morning, Jake."

Joe reluctantly stood up from under the hood and grabbed a towel to wipe his greasy hands on. "Hey, Kristen." He watched her carefully as she moved from the side of the garage over to where he stood. Lucas gave him a knowing look as he stepped away. Joe had met Kristen on Wednesday, his first day. She had been friendly, but he had seen how she looked him over and knew that he would be an object of her attention.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch?"

"Nah," he said with a smile. "My mom packed me something so I'll just eat here."

"Oh, come on! Let me show you around some. I know you're new in town. You take the lunch home with you and have it tomorrow," Kristen pleaded as she grabbed his hand.

Joe glanced over his shoulder at Lucas who shrugged and turned back to Kristen. "Okay, but I've only got an hour, so it has to be somewhere close and somewhere where I can go like this." Joe glanced down at himself and then wished he hadn't as Kristen was also looking him over.

"I think you look just fine. But there's a diner nearby and you'll be fine there."

"Let me go wash up and I'll be right out." Joe moved toward the shop restroom but he could hear Lucas behind him talking.

"Don't you go making trouble for that boy, Kris," Lucas said.

"I'm not looking for trouble, Lucas."

"Well, see that you don't. That boy looks like the best intern we've had in a year."

"I'll say he looks good…" Kristen's voice faded even as Joe rolled his eyes and entered the bathroom.

.**********.

Joe put the last bite of cheeseburger in his mouth and wiped his fingers. He was very aware of Kristen looking at him. In fact, he had found the whole lunch to be a little disconcerting and he realized he just didn't have it in him to play her. Putting down the napkin, he looked up at her and said, "Kristen, I don't know what you're thinking but I'm not much of a flirt-"

"That's fine with me, Jake," she said reaching out to take his hand and rub her thumb in small circles on the back of it.

"That's not what I meant, Kristen. I'm just not one to hop into bed with the first pretty girl that I meet."

Kristen kept his hand and asked, "So you think I'm pretty?"

Joe shrugged. "Well, yeah, I think you're pretty."

"So do I have a chance with you, Jake?"

"Yeah," Joe lied. "I just like to get to know people before I sleep with them."

A mischievous smile crossed her face as she said, "Well, we've got six weeks. Think you'll know me well enough in a week?"

Joe couldn't help but tinge red at what she was implying. "I don't rush things."

Kristen let go of his hand and leaned back, the predatory gleam still in her eye. "Go out with me this weekend?"

"Like to eat and a movie?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah. I won't jump you in the movie theater although I might be tempted."

Joe shook his head. "Are you always like this with guys you meet?"

Kristen's cocky smiled faded a bit. "Yeah. I like to irritate my dad and me flirting with the mechanics works pretty well."

"Hey, I don't want to lose my job-"

"Don't worry, you won't. I know now how far is too far."

Joe looked at her carefully. "Did you go too far before?"

Looking sad, Kristen replied, "Yeah. Got a guy fired." And then realizing what she had said, she added, "But trust me, I won't do anything to get you fired. That guy was just as bad as I was and wanted to push things. He learned the hard way that he pushed too far."

Joe nodded. "Okay, then. Date Saturday night?"

"Pick me up at six. We can eat and go to the early movie."

Joe picked up the bill and then put down the money to cover both their meals and the tip.

"Thanks for lunch," Kristen said as they stood. "I asked you out, so I should have paid."

"Not when you're out with me," Joe said with a smile as they exited the diner.

.**********.

 _Saturday night._

Joe watched Angela as she pressed fingers to her pierced ears making sure that her earrings were secure. They both had dates for the night and he was a little nervous about both of them.

Angela looked over to Joe as she smoothed her dress and smiled at him. "Look, Jake, I'm going to be fine."

"I know."

She reached over and took his arm."Believe me; I know how to handle myself. Now you go ahead and go or you'll be late picking up Kristen."

Joe opened the door. "Think you'll be back before me?"

"Probably not as I bet you won't stay out longer than you have to," she said with a laugh.

"I'll wait up for you," he said with a smile and closed the door behind him.

"I bet you will," Angela said quietly as the door closed.

.**********.

Joe and Kristen ended up at a local restaurant that specialized in seafood. As Joe was eating his steamed shrimp, Kristen asked, "So why are you even going out with me?"

Joe paused for a moment. "One: you're the Sales Manager's daughter and I don't want to get on his bad side by not being nice to you. Two: I'm new here. I don't know the best places or what to do or where to hang out. Three: you're pretty." Joe shrugged and peeled a shrimp. "That's enough reasons for me."

Kristen eyed him speculatively and then said, "Makes sense. From the things you've said, I'm pretty sure I'm not the kind of girl that you're usually interested in."

Frowning, Joe asked, "Except for the fact that you're pretty forward, what's not to like?"

"Dad says I'm like my mom who cheated on him. Strike one. I make Cs and Ds at school. Strike two. He wants me to go into the financial field but I hate math. Strike three." She shrugged as she moved her sautéed vegetables around on her plate. "Sounds like enough reasons for me."

Joe reached across and took her hand. "Average grades aren't bad and I'm not looking to date an accountant or a stock broker." He laughed. "I'm a mechanic and I like it. Find something you like and do it." Joe looked at her hand that he was holding and then let it go as he reached for a wet nap. "Sorry, I got shrimp seasoning on your hand." He tossed her the small package.

Smiling as she caught it, she said, "I don't mind at all, Jake."

.**********.

Exiting the movie theater, Kristen took his hand but that was all and he didn't pull it away. She had been surprisingly respectful of his person in the darkness of the movie. Moving to her side of the car, he opened the door and closed it when she got in before jogging around.

As they drove back to her house, Joe asked a few questions about her father. He found out that he rarely went into work early but sometimes he stayed after the dealership closed. He also had a home office. Joe wanted to know more about it but knew that asking too many questions about that would seem odd to her. That meant that he'd need to be invited to her house sometime, preferably when her father wasn't home.

"Mom and I just have an apartment right now. Your house is really nice," he said looking up at it from inside the car. The two and a half story brick home was in an affluent neighborhood.

"Yeah, it is pretty nice. Maybe you'd like to come over sometime? Watch a movie? We also have a pool in the backyard and a game room with a pool table."

"Wow!" Joe said with enthusiasm that didn't need to be feigned. "I'd love to! Maybe sometime next week?"

Kristen smiled. "Sounds good. I'll try to pick a day when dad is working late so he won't hover over us."

Realizing that being alone at her house might be a problem, Joe's smile faded slightly.

Sensing his concern, Kristen reached over and placed a hand on his arm. "I promise I won't try anything." She winked. "Unless you want me to." Joe laughed and she added, "You're one of the nicest guys I've been out with in a long time and I don't want to mess it up."

"Let me walk you to the house," Joe said with a smile as he got out of the car. He stopped at the top of the steps to avoid an awkward moment at her door. "See you next week?"

"I'll come by the shop so we can make plans."

"See you later then."

"See you, Jake."

Joe made his way back to the car. Things didn't look so bad for him now.

.**********.

Angela Williams was unsurprised to find Joe watching tv when she arrived home with Terry. He had asked for her to call him that instead of Terrence.

Joe stood and turned to greet her. "Hey," he said and looked behind her. "What? He didn't walk you to the door?"

Angela laughed as she dead bolted the door behind her. "He walked me to the bottom of the steps and then moved back so he could watch me go up the steps. He made sure I made it up to the door safely."

Joe snorted.

"Did you walk Kristen all the way to her door?" she asked teasingly.

Joe rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, no. But then I was trying to avoid an awkward kiss at the door."

"Well maybe Terry was too."

"Terry?"

"Yeah, he hates Terrence." She tossed her keys onto the entryway table. "I don't think he's involved but I'll go out with him some more to see if I can learn anything else about what goes on at the dealership. How about you? Learn anything interesting?"

"Actually, I did. Kristen says her dad never goes in early, but sometimes works late. From what she described to me, he can be mean to her. He complains about her grades and compares her to her mom who cheated on him. It's why she's acted the way she has with some of the interns."

"Her way of getting back at him?" Angela asked.

"Exactly."

"Is she planning to use you the same way?" Angela asked as they both sat down on the couch.

"No. She says that I'm a nice guy and she doesn't want to mess things up with me." Joe shook his head. "I don't feel so nice right now."

"Joe, look at me." Angela waited for his attention. "You are showing her how a girl should be treated. There's nothing wrong with that. Sure you'll leave by the end of the summer, but she knows that already."

"But what if her dad is involved? This could ruin her life."

"It doesn't sound like her dad is a winner. She could be better off with her mom. However, you have to keep your mind on the goal which is to find out where the drugs and guns are going. I don't want to ruin her life anymore than you do, but we have to stop that contraband."

"I know," Joe said as he leaned his head back against the couch and then sat back up as Angela started to rise. "I almost forgot."

"What?" Angela asked as she sat back down.

"Newman has a home office that Kristen says he spends a lot of time in."

"Interesting. Any chance you'll get to see it?"

"Kristen and I are planning a date for next week at her house. They have a pool and a game room."

"Won't do you much good if Newman is there-"

Joe cut her off as he added, "Kristen's going to try to pick a day her dad isn't home." At Williams' look, he said, "She said she wouldn't try anything she just doesn't want him hovering."

Angela laughed as she crossed her arms, "She said she wouldn't try anything? You and her. Alone. In bathing suits."

Joe reddened. "She said she wouldn't try anything unless I wanted her too."

Williams stood and patted Joe's shoulder as she went by. "I think I'd be prepared for her to try something."

"I will." It was his automatic response. But in all honesty, he wasn't sure what he would do but she was right; he needed to be prepared.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** It's a dry spell for reviews! But thanks to max2013, Cherylann Rivers, and welcome back to JoeNeal! Your reviews are much appreciated! Now enjoy the slightly longer than usual chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 _Wednesday evening…_

Joe glanced up to the large clock on the wall. It was 5:45 and almost time to knock off for the day. This was his second week on the job and he was working the later shift. So far everyone in the service department left shortly after the workday ended. Of course, he hadn't stay around yet to see if anyone came back. Other agents were doing drive-bys after dark to see if there was any movement and so far there hadn't been any around the parts area. However, Billy Newman had stayed late on Monday and according to Kristen he was staying late again tonight. ORT agents were going to check things a little more tonight once things shut down.

"Jake! A word please," sounded across the garage area earning Joe a few jokes that only he could here.

Joe turned to the voice and saw that it was Mr. Newman, as he expected. "Yes, sir," he replied and continued to wipe grease off his hands as he walked over to the door that led into the showroom. "Sir?" he asked as he stopped in front of the man.

"Kristen says you're coming over tonight."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm not sure when I'll be home, but I when I get home I expect to find you with your clothes on," Newman said bluntly.

Joe couldn't help but bristle. "Sir, I don't-"

Newman closed his eyes and raised his hand. "You may not, but I know Kristen. If you want to keep your job, keep your pants on."

Fuming on the inside, Joe practically had to bite his tongue. "Yes, sir."

Without another word, Newman returned to the main building as the other mechanics began to rib Joe good-naturedly. Joe pushed down his dislike for the man and pasted a smile on as he turned to the other guys. "Yeah, yeah," he said waving at them. "I know. Keep my pants on." He went back to clean up the area he was working at and then clocked out.

.**********.

Figuring it was best to already be in his swim trunks, Joe wore them to Kristen's with a tee-shirt. A towel and a change of clothes were in a gym bag that hung from his hand. Patiently, he waited at the front door for Kristen to answer. When she did, he had to work to keep his eyes on her face as she had to be wearing one of the smallest bikinis he'd ever seen.

"Hi, Jake!" she said brightly and then stepped to the side so that he could come in.

"Hey."

Closing the door behind him, she said, "I'm glad you're already in your suit. The pool's this way." She turned and led him through the back of the house.

His eyes scanned the rooms he could see. Nothing stood out as an office area. Hopefully, it wouldn't be on the second floor. That could be a little tricky for him to get to without raising suspicion. His eyes travelled over the expensive leather furnishings and the projection tv in the living area and the high-end professional kitchen appliances and custom cabinets. Everything spoke of wealth.

"Come on, Jake! The pool's out here! I'll show you around the house once we've had a swim."

He caught a glimpse of her typing something into a keypad as he caught up with her. Moving to join her, Joe looked through the series of French doors and large mullioned windows that put the well-kept backyard and garden on display as well as the beautiful pool.

Kristen grabbed a towel off the back of a kitchen chair as she walked through to the outdoor stone patio. "Close the door or I'll have to reset the alarm," she said as she dropped the towel casually on a deck chair and moved to the edge of the pool. She turned and looked back at him. "Put your stuff anywhere you want." As he put his things on a chair near her towel, she moved to the far side of the pool where she dove in. Surfacing, she moved toward the shallow end with long graceful freestyle strokes. Standing, she wiped the water from her face and pulled her hair back behind her.

Joe swallowed nervously. Things suddenly seemed a little precarious to him as he watched her.

Laughing, Kristen said, "Are you going to take off that shirt or swim with it on?"

Startled, Joe said, "Ummm, just taking it off now." Turning away from her he pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it on the chair. Letting out a deep breath, he put on a smile and turned back toward her as he moved to the far end of the pool. "My turn now," he said right before he dove in. Instead of surfacing, he swam underwater for a ways and then popped out of the water a few yards from where she was standing.

"Glad you're a good swimmer too."

"My parents insisted on it," Joe said as he shook the water from his hair and wiped his face.

"How long have your parents been divorced?"

"Just last year. You?"

Kristen looked back to the house. "Mine was last year too."

"From what you said, it sounds like it was pretty rough," Joe commented. While he didn't want to pry into her life, perhaps part of the divorce stemmed from something Billy Newman was doing.

"Yeah, well, it was rough. Not something I want to go into, that's for sure," she said as she looked back to him and worked to put on a smile. "Maybe we can talk about something else?"

"Sure. What do you want to talk about?"

The conversation moved into talk about what they liked to do at school. Joe talked about football while Kristen surprised him by saying she was on the swim team.

"I should have guessed by the way you were swimming," Joe said.

Kristen laughed as she moved to the side of the pool and climbed to sit on the side with her legs in the water. "It's okay. It's not really something people would know unless they watch the team or know me."

Finding something that he could do with her now, he said, "Would you help me with my technique?" At her raised eyebrow, he quickly said, "Swimming technique?"

With a genuine smile, she agreed and they spent the next hour swimming and splashing water. When a game they were playing ended up with Kristen in Joe's arms, he was fast to ask, "How about we go in and play a game of pool?"

"Or we could stay out here," she asked as her arms snaked up around his neck.

"Kristen, I-" Joe didn't get any more words out as she pulled his head down and brought her lips to his. Joe's arms instinctively tightened and he kissed her back, having known he could only play keep away for a short time. As the kissing intensified, Joe pulled back.

"Wow," Kristen said as she gazed up at him.

Joe felt like a world-class heel as he smiled down at her. He was surprised when she pulled away and then started pulling him by the hand toward the steps at the end of the pool. "Kristen, wait-" But Kristen seemed to have her own agenda as she quickly moved back in his arms and attempted to kiss him again. But this time, he stepped back and grabbed her hands. "I'm not opposed to kissing, but that's as far as we're going tonight."

A mischievous twinkle lit her eyes as she focused on part of what he said, "Tonight maybe, but maybe the next date?"

Joe couldn't help but laugh. "You just don't give up do you?"

Kristen's face took on a serious cast as she said, "You're different than the other guys. Any one of them would have already been up to the bedroom with me by now." Her head tilted to the side. "I guess I was just trying to see how serious you are about this 'take it slow deal.'"

Joe moved to the side of the pool and pushed himself up so he could sit on the edge. He felt a little more in control. "And what have you determined?"

"That you're serious about it," she said with a smile. "I promise I won't try anything else tonight, except for a repeat of that kiss when you go to leave."

Joe forced a smile back to his face as he said, "Sounds good to me." He glanced to the house. "How about that game of pool?"

A short while later, they were changed and in the house. Kristen showed him the downstairs which contained the master bedroom and several other rooms. The game room with the pool table was upstairs along with Kristen's room and several guest rooms. Joe glance into several of them as they moved toward the game room. Passing a closed door, the only one on the floor, Joe asked, "What's that room?"

"Oh, that's just my dad's office. Yeah, you'd think he'd get everything done at work but he manages to bring some of it home."

"Does he spend a lot of time in there?"

Kristen shrugged as she entered the game room. "I guess. I know he does some loud talking in there sometimes."

"Really?"

Looking at him quizzically, Kristen asked, "Why the interest?"

This time it was Joe's turn to shrug. "I guess it interests me because I might be working at a dealership someday and maybe I can work my way from mechanic to management."

Kristen snorted, "I'd stick with the garage if I were you. I hear Dad grumbling about late shipments and then there's those nights he stays late. At least at the garage you can leave your work there."

Joe glanced back at the door to the home office, more interested than ever. "Yeah, guess you're right."

"I know I am," she replied. "Enough talk about my dad and your job. Let's play some pool."

Two hours later, Joe looked at the clock and then at the girl snuggled to his side on the couch. His feeling like a jerk hadn't changed and he let out a deep breath which drew her attention.

"Something wrong, Jake?"

"No, not at all," he replied with a smile. "Except, I need to head on back. I kinda bet my mom that I'd be back from my date before she got back from hers."

Kristen laughed. "That eager to get away from me?"

Joe's smile dropped as he stammered, "No. No, not at all-"

Laughing some more, Kristen played poked him. "I'm just kidding. After spending time with you, I'm not surprised that you want to be home when Terry brings your mom home."

Joe blushed as it was obvious that he wanted to check on Terry and his mom.

Patting his arm, she said, "I think it's cute and it makes you even more-" What she would have said was lost as a door closed from the garage into the house.

"I'm home!" Billy called from the other room.

Both Kristen and Joe stood as Billy came into the room and looked at the pair. It was obvious that he was expecting to see more than popcorn on the table and an action movie on the large screen tv. "Behaving yourself, Jake?"

"Yes, sir," Joe replied. "In fact, I just told Kristen I needed to head home."

"Sounds like a good idea," Billy said. "See you at work." With that, Billy Newman turned and headed for the second floor.

Joe watched him go.

"Probably headed up to do more work," Kristen said with a touch of irritation.

Now Joe wished he hadn't said he was leaving but staying now and going upstairs to play pool would be a bit strange. Maybe another time. Joe walked to the door where his bag of clothes were and turned to say good night. Pulling her to him he did indeed repeat their heated kiss from earlier.

As they broke apart, Kristen said, "Still a wow, Jake."

With a smile and a quick kiss to the lips, he said, "See you Friday for lunch?"

"See you then."

As Joe walked to the car, he knew that this wasn't the kind of undercover work he could engage in when he had a girlfriend. He shook his head and climbed into his car.

.**********.

Joe sat on the couch in the apartment he shared with Angela Williams. He let his head drop back against the top of the cushion. "I just feel like the biggest jerk ever." Williams laughed softly and Joe sat up and frowned at her. "I don't think this is funny."

"I know you don't, Joe." Williams put her glass of sweet tea on the side table and then seated herself in an oversized chair. Pulling her legs up under her, she carefully reached back for her tea and took a sip. "I wasn't laughing at you specifically, Joe. Just at your honest and caring reaction." She shook her head, "I sometimes forget the ideals that I had as a new agent."

Joe hadn't stopped frowning. "Are you saying I'm naïve?"

Williams looked thoughtfully at the young man in front of her. "In the sense that I think that for all you've been through, you have managed to stay unaffected and somewhat innocent."

Joe let his head fall back against the couch. "I don't feel innocent right now. I feel downright guilty. I mean, Vanessa…." He let his voice trail off, unable to put into words how he felt he was betraying his girlfriend.

"We've talked about this before, Joe. Vanessa knows what you're doing and she knows that flirting and kissing could be part of your cover. The same as it is for her."

Joe sat back up and delivered a cold stare at the older agent. "If you think throwing the fact that my brother and girlfriend are undercover together makes this okay for both of us, then you're wrong."

"I'm not throwing it in your face." She put her glass down and then sat forward. "Are you going to make Vanessa feel guilty if she had to flirt with Frank?" When his eyes dropped she continued, "Are you going to glare at Frank if he had to kiss Vanessa?" Joe's eyes shot back up to Williams and she sat back heavily in the chair. "Ahhhh. So that's it. You are worried that Frank kissed Vanessa like you kissed Kristen."

Joe dropped his head and ran his hands through his long wavy hair.

Williams stood and said, "I'm going to have them pull Frank and Vanessa off their assignment. They've only been there a couple of days. We'll do something different."

"What?" Joe asked incredulously. "You're going to pull two operatives off an assignment because I feel guilty over something they may or may not even do?"

"Yes."

"Why?" he asked searching her face to find some kind of answer.

"These missions were set up to find boundaries and parameters for our teenage operatives in general and the three of you in particular. Obviously having dating operatives on separate missions is showing itself to be just as difficult with teenagers as it is with long-term agents." She looked at Joe and said, "Why do you think that Agent Johnson hasn't been on a mission during your time with the agency?"

Joe shrugged.

"He's happily married with two teenage daughters and has requested not to be put on undercover work." She laughed as she searched for her cell phone in her purse. "Of course, having your brother paired with your girlfriend isn't a dynamic we run into very often in the course of our work. I knew it wouldn't be good but the powers that be wanted to see what the limits were." She pressed a button and unlocked her phone.

"Don't," Joe said before she could enter any numbers.

Turning to him in surprise, she asked, "Why not?"

He sighed before responding, "They need to know I trust them and I do. Neither Frank nor Vanessa would do anything to betray me. To them it's an assignment and an unpleasant one. Frank loves Callie and has never seemed interested in Vanessa just like I'm not interested in Callie. So don't call."

Williams carefully put the phone back into her purse as Joe stood up.

"I'm heading up to bed," he said tiredly and headed to the steps.

.**********.

Angela Williams watched him go with mixed feelings. He had responded just as ORT hoped he would. It was obvious that pairing Joe and Vanessa with other operatives would not be a good idea in the future, but it showed that he was able to put his feelings aside to get a mission completed. The trio were known as up and coming operatives with the agency brass and Williams reflected on their skill set. They were by far the most talented of their teen operative groups.

Frank had his outstanding academic skills in addition to his reasoning skills that made him a great high school debater. His skills in the digital forensics unit placed him at the top of the operatives coming through the program. Throw in his athletic abilities that let him be the top contender in an MMA fight ring and you have a highly sought after agent.

Vanessa was no slouch in self-defense but she wasn't on the level with Joe or Frank. Her primary skill was ability to hack and go places no one should be able to go. Throw in her looks and she could enter the most exclusive of venues but at the same time come across as just a fighter's girlfriend. Definitely someone who could cause a lot of damage electronically if given the chance or a good reason.

Then there was Joe, her temporary son. She sighed heavily as she sank down into the leather chair and stared blankly at the steps that he had just climbed. ORT was extremely interested in the young man. He had already been through more than some field agents and definitely more than the desk-bound agents had. His experience and ability to think fast on his feet was exceptional. He also had a fighter's body and had proved that he could hang with his more experienced older brother in the MMA ring. He was also a certified mechanic and had placed in the top three at a sniper's school that had given rave reviews to his performance there. And they didn't fabricate things; not if they wanted their government contracts to continue.

She had been honest with Joe. He was naïve in some respects and wise beyond his years in others. She hoped he would be able to hold onto that small bit of innocence that he still had; that ORT didn't take it away in their effort to recruit and keep one of the best black op candidates they had had in years. She hoped that she and Keo would be kept on as the handlers for the trio as she knew that Keo, like her, wanted to protect the boys and Vanessa as much as they could. She reached for her glass of tea and turned her thoughts toward their next move.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** I laughed at Caranath's comment: "luckily for Joe, being a sniper does not require a whole lotta flirting..." So true... We'll just have to see how that goes won't we. ;-D

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

"Your boyfriend is really hot, Valerie," said Constance Varton, a Boston College intern working at VanDuren Technologies.

Vanessa smiled at the brunette who had been her guide since starting at VanDuren the previous day. "Yeah, he is."

"Does he have a brother by any chance?" she asked with a smile.

"He does but he's interning in Virginia this summer." Frank and Vanessa had decided to keep things as close to the truth as possible and that was what she was doing now.

"He look as good as David?"

"Yes, but he's blonde."

"Ohhhh," Constance laughed. "Sounds interesting, maybe David can show me a picture sometime. I'd love to see a blonde version of him."

"As much as I love talking about David, what is on the schedule for this morning?" Vanessa asked in an effort to get things back on track. The sooner they were able to access the needed files, the sooner she could stop this charade with Frank. Thankfully, ORT was in the initial stages of information gathering on VanDuren and only needed files accessed and copied which meant their mission might only take a couple of weeks.

"I'm afraid today will be rather boring," Constance said as walked with Vanessa toward her assigned cubicle that was colored in shades of beige and blue. "You'll be doing some simulations with the software and role-playing support calls for the rest of the day. You have reviewed the software package and hardware specifications?"

"Yes. I received the information to study a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, once you prove you can handle the 'pretend' calls, they'll put you on first level support. But that would be tomorrow at the earliest." Constance stopped outside Vanessa's office space. "What to grab lunch later?"

Vanessa blushed. "David's taking me out."

Constance winked. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Yeah, let's plan on it." Vanessa watched Constance walk away and then entered her cubicle. She'd do some of the required intern work and then begin to do some searching through the system to look for any hidden files.

.**********.

Vanessa was signing out of her computer when there was a soft knock at the entrance to her cubicle. Looking up, she smiled. "Hey, David."

"Hi, Val." He looked at the cubicle walls and said, "Kinda hard to knock on a cubicle."

"Your digs any better?"

"Not really, but I haven't been in them as much. I spent most of my time in the server room this morning. Remind me to bring my jacket in." He smiled as he gave a fake shudder. "They keep that room like a freezer."

"But you should have expected that," Vanessa laughed. "It's a server room after all."

"Yeah, but I just didn't want to appear wimpy from the get-go."

"And now?" she asked as she joined him at the entrance to the cubicle.

"Now, I've proven I can weather the chill but common sense says that enough is enough." Frank casually reached out and took Vanessa's hand in his.

With a somewhat startled look, Vanessa turned to see Constance coming toward them. Realizing that Frank was working on their cover image she stepped closer and leaned into him. "We're just heading out for lunch, Constance. We'll be back by 1:00."

Constance made a dismissing gesture with her hand and said, "Not worried about that. I just wanted to see if you both would like to join a group of us going out tonight."

"On a Thursday?" Frank asked with a frown.

Constance laughed. "Guess you must really be devoted to your studies, David. Boston is really alive and the clubs are active pretty much every night." She winked at Vanessa and said, "So, are you interested?"

With a glance up at Frank who shrugged, she said, "Sure. Just let us know when and where." As they walked away, Vanessa said, "Maybe we can learn something from one of the group."

"Maybe," Frank said. "I guess it can't hurt."

.**********.

 _How wrong was I?_ Frank thought to himself as the blaring club music assailed his ears. He had thought the club would be a little more subdued, but he was wrong. This club definitely had a flair for techno music and writhing bodies. Thankfully though, everyone was dressed in the normal college party-scene attire. He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Constance beside him. Realizing that she must have spoken, he loudly asked, "What? I didn't hear you."

"I asked if you were enjoying it but I can tell from the look on your face that you're not," she said with a smile.

Returning her smile, he said, "I don't mind it, but it is rather loud."

"Don't party much do you, David?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Deciding he'd give her a good excuse he flashed a dazzling smile and said, "With a girlfriend like Valerie, I prefer to party at home."

Constance's eyes grew wide and then she burst out laughing. "With a boyfriend like you, I'm sure she agrees."

"Speaking of Val…"

Constance turned to survey the scene with him.

"She was going to get us something to drink," he said.

As Constance raised her arm to point at a spot along the bar, she said, "Looks like she's picked up an admirer." But she was speaking to thin air as Frank was already moving toward the bar.

.**********.

Vanessa felt the arm on her waist and turned to the man beside her at the bar. She had placed her drink order for two sodas as they were both tagged as underage and was waiting for the bartender to return when a slightly inebriated man had squeezed into the spot beside her. Now it seemed that he was looking to start a conversation.

"Hey, babe. Can you I buy you a drink?" he asked with eyes that appeared a little too bright.

"No thanks, I've already ordered drinks for my boyfriend and me."

His hand slid down so that it was resting lightly on her butt. "I don't see a boyfriend."

She could very easily put him a position where he'd be in pain, but she didn't really want to cause a scene if she could avoid it. Going GI Joe on the guy could raise a few questions from Constance and the others that she'd rather not have to answer.

"I think you should remove your hand if you don't want it broken," Vanessa said with a smile.

"Oh, like it rough huh?" he said with leering smile as he pressed further against her.

The smell of liquor on his breath was strong as he leaned in toward her. She could see Frank fast approaching and the scene would play out so much better if he confronted the guy, but there was no way she was going to let this bozo touch her any further. "My boyfriend does and he's right behind you." It was enough to distract him as he turned to look and she pushed him away.

Her push sent him right into Frank who grabbed him by the shirt front. "Did I just see you put your hand on my girlfriend?"

The man was only slightly shorter than Frank but he cowered under the intense gaze that was directed at him. "Hey, man. Just hitting on a pretty girl. Didn't know she was with you."

Frank pushed him hard against the bar and said, "I'm pretty sure she told you to back off. Next time, listen to what a woman says and don't be a jerk."

The man's hands went up in the air in an appeasing fashion. "Learned my lesson. Won't do it again."

"Yeah, right," Vanessa grumbled. "Let's go, David." She grabbed her drink and Frank's and walked away in the direction that the group had been. In a moment Frank was right beside her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I thought it might raise questions if I broke one of his bones, but I really wanted to. The nerve of that guy," Vanessa said with irritation as she moved smoothly through the milling crowd.

Frank had to move in close to hear her above the loud music. He grinned slightly knowing that Vanessa was definitely capable of doing what she said. "Well, I had to step in or I would have been in trouble." When Vanessa looked at him strangely, he winked at her and she smiled as she realized exactly what (or perhaps more accurately 'who') he was alluding to.

Reaching the table where Constance and some others were, Vanessa put the drinks on the table and started chatting with her. Frank glanced around the room and saw that the jerk who had been annoying Vanessa was nowhere in sight. It looked like the night would be fine after all.

.**********.

A week later, Frank and Vanessa were on their way back to Bayport. Their mission had been surprisingly easy and the PDA had thankfully been very limited. Fabricating a story regarding a death in Valerie's family, Frank and Vanessa left the company with the mission complete.

After a night in Bayport, Frank and Vanessa headed into the New York City ORT office to do their final debriefing. Pulling out the dark leather chairs in a conference room, the two looked around.

"It'll just be us," Agent Johnson said as the two teens seated themselves. Johnson pulled some information up on his tablet and then looked back to them. "Your reports were both very thorough and there are only a few questions we have. The data that you provided speaks for itself in regards to the case." He looked back at the tablet, asked a few questions that he typed answers to, and then closed up the case. "That will do it for the mission debrief, but I do have a question to ask.

"Shoot," Frank said.

"How was it working together using the cover of boyfriend/girlfriend?"

Both Frank and Vanessa shifted awkwardly but Vanessa spoke up quickly. "We knew that assignments like this could come up," she glanced over to Frank and then back to Johnson, "but I didn't care for the cover since I'm dating Joe. And this- This was…."

"Uncomfortable," Frank finished for her.

Vanessa let out a breath. "Definitely uncomfortable."

"Joe already told me his feelings and I wanted to make sure that you felt the same."

"We do," Vanessa said quickly.

Johnson smiled. "The turning on and off of affection and the separation of one's life as an agent from one's true life can sometimes be difficult. It's why I, myself, do not do undercover work any longer."

"Oh," Vanessa said and glanced to his hand and his wedding ring. "How do you manage, sir?"

"It's not always easy. My daughters have no idea what I truly do, but my wife knows some things but not the totality. You'll find that over time, your family and significant others can intuit some things."

Frank thought about his mother and nodded.

"But we'll make notations in your files so that this particular problem doesn't arise again." He looked from one to the other and asked, "Are we good on this?"

Vanessa nodded but Frank asked, "If possible, I'd like to avoid missions that would require being romantic with anyone."

Keo Johnson leaned back and looked at Frank.

"I just don't think I can go back to my girlfriend and either just lie to her or not mention it." Frank shrugged. "I can't handle that amount of deceit in my relationship."

"I'll make the notation in your file. Some things may come up that we don't plan for when you're undercover, but we won't knowingly put you into an operation where we expect more than a casual relationship." He looked from Vanessa to Frank and back. "Are we good now?"

"Yes, sir," they chorused.

"Good. Now on to the rest of our meeting."

.**********.

On the train ride back to Bayport, Vanessa asked Frank, "So what do you think about our meeting with Johnson?"

"I think they would do anything right now to make sure we stayed with them," he said carefully. "I'm not saying that is a bad thing."

"No, I understand," Vanessa replied. "They don't have many… members," she said with a glance around her, "that are our age. I think they don't want to risk losing us over something like this." She paused, "At least not yet."

Frank nodded. Johnson had told them that Joe's mission was going well but that they hadn't found the needed information yet to return home. "I wonder if Williams told Joe the same thing."

"We'll find out when he gets home," Vanessa replied and then turned her attention to the window.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

Author's Notes: So there's been a glitch in the notification system when I upload new chapters. This story was updated 5/3: chapter 11 and 5/7: chapter 12. The final chapter will upload 5/11... at least that's what I plan to do. :-) If you don't get a notification check back around that time. I usually updated in the evenings (EST). Thanks to all who have read and reviewed and found the last chapter even without the email! I will thank everyone by name in the next (last) chapter! Thanks again!

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

ORT had word that a contraband shipment would soon be sent to the Chesapeake area but no other details. There was a great need to find more information from the Chesapeake end of the shipment.

Billy Newman was the only one in administration who stayed late and the only one whose bank account was larger than his salary indicated. So it was felt that bugging Newman's home office might give them the insight they needed. There were no suspicious contacts on Newman's personal or work cell phones which meant he had to be using a burner phone that would be impossible to track. So they needed to bug the home office in the hope that he would use that space for his illegal calls if he was involved. ORT had a court order that would allow them to record for thirty days and then they'd have to provide evidence that an extension was needed or stop the bugging. However, if this worked, then they wouldn't need thirty days. That is, if Joe could get in. Newman had a sophisticated security system that made getting in and out of the house difficult. Since the system was usually active, they had to find a way to get it deactivated and give Joe time to plant the device.

"No small order," Joe said when Angela gave him the news.

"Any ideas? You're the one that's actually been in the house so we're looking to you for insight."

Joe sat quietly for a few moments. "I know the system from dad's work. It's top of the line. When it's just Kristen at the house, the house alarm is always set, whether passive or active. If we're at the pool it's on. When we go in the house Kristen disarms the system but then resets it to alarm if someone comes in. She's never forgotten." He glanced over at Williams. "I think she's had it drilled into her. Plus I think that Newman must also use the system as a way to monitor her." He shrugged. "With her track record, it's probably a good thing. When Newman comes home, he disarms it. I guess there are things he doesn't wanted recorded on the system," Joe added. "Has ORT tried assessing the camera feed?"

Angela let out a deep breath. "No, because of the camera type."

"Ah," Joe said. "That's right; he has the ones that have a small light on them letting you know when they are active. Newman could tell that the camera in his office was on if ORT activated it."

"And that would give away that he's under suspicion. So, you see anyway around it?"

Joe shook his head. "The best way to get around it is have someone turn it off."

"Can you do that?" Angela asked.

"Kristen hasn't been careful around me. I know the code, but it makes an audible sound when someone alters the current setting and Kristen always uses the hard-wired panel and never the phone app. I'm certain the system takes her image when she disarms and arms it." When Angela went to speak, Joe stopped her. "But I think I can get Kristen to do it for us."

"How?" Angela asked curiously.

"I'll make sure her phone gets left out on the patio. Later when we're up playing pool I'll make sure she realizes she doesn't have it. She'll disarm the system to go out to get it. She won't rearm it until she gets back inside and she always arms the system upstairs which gives me more time. The inside cameras should be disabled for that amount of time."

"Can you get in and out of the office in that amount of time?"

"I think so, but it's our only option if we want to have those cameras stop recording."

"Think you get can get an invite to come over tonight?" Williams asked.

Joe didn't look happy as he said, "No problem getting the invite."

"Then do it." Williams said and then gently added, "Listen. I know this is difficult for you and I know that the longer you date Kristen the more she wants from the relationship." She reached over and took Joe's hand. "But if we get the information we need for this next shipment, then we'll be going home sooner rather than later."

Joe nodded and reached for his phone to call Kristen.

.**********.

Joe quietly closed the door of Billy Newman's home office and went quietly over to the desk. In moments he had the listening device planted. _Time to get out_ , he thought and stood up. But then he hesitated. ORT hadn't been able to get any information from hacking into Newman's home PC. Joe glanced around. There wasn't another PC that he could see. He reached for the file drawer and was surprised to find it unlocked. Joe glanced out the window that overlooked the pool. Kristen was standing out there checking her messages. He turned back to the desk and pulled the drawer all the way open; he saw only three files. Quickly he pulled them out. His eyes widened at what was on it. The reason that ORT hadn't found digital evidence was because Newman did things the old-fashion way. Quickly he pulled his phone out and activated the camera. He took pictures of the first three pages and then glanced out the window. "Crap!" Kristen was no longer in sight. Quickly he closed the files and put them back in the drawer. Rushing to the door he set the lock and quickly stepped into the hallway and pulled the door closed just as Kristen reached the top of the stairs. _Job accomplished for the night_ , he thought as his heart pounded.

Kristen smiled at him and said, "Were you coming to look for me?"

"Yeah, didn't know what was taking so long."

She waved her phone in the air. "I made the mistake of checking my messages and my friend Gillian was having a major meltdown, so I had to send her a text."

Joe thought this might be his out. "Maybe I should go so you can call her."

Laughing, she took his arm and headed back to the game room. "Nah, I'll call her after you're gone. This isn't Gillian's first meltdown."

Joe stopped after taking just a few steps with her. "Wait, you forgot to set the alarm."

Without even glancing at the panel by the top of the steps, she said, "Oh, don't worry, I set it using the downstairs panel."

Joe didn't hear anything else she said. How soon had the cameras come back on? Was he still in the room when the office camera activated? To be sure, Newman wouldn't check the footage anyway unless there was reason to. He felt a tug on his arm. "What?"

Kristen laughed, "I was asking if you wanted to watch a movie or shoot some more pool?"

"Pool," he quickly said because movie watching usually ended up with Kristen snuggled up to him and kissing.

She swatted his arm. "You said that awful fast, mister. Makes me think you don't like watching movies with me."

He stopped walking and pulled her to him and gently kissed her. "Not true. It's that we just didn't finish our game earlier."

Placing another quick kiss on his lips, she said, "Okay. I'll take that this time."

Then in what Joe would describe as divine intervention, his phone buzzed with an incoming text. He pulled out the phone and checked it as Kristen picked up her cue stick. "It's my mom. Let me text her back."

"Sure."

Joe moved over the side of the room and sent off the pictures he had taken as well as a mayday. The phone screen went from 'delivered' to 'read.' He could tell that Williams was typing something but turned the screen off as he felt Kristen's arm wrap around him from behind.

"Anything interesting?"

"No," Joe replied with a smile as he turned around. "But my mom will be sending me a text in a minute. Get your stick chalked up and I'll be over in after I get it." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss as his phone buzzed. Kristen let him go and returned to the table while he unlocked the phone and looked at the message.

 _'_ _Team is on the way. ETA fifteen minutes.'_

 _I can handle fifteen minutes_ , Joe thought as he moved to the table. However, he had just broken the rack when he heard the alarm being disarmed and steps on the stairs. _Moment of truth_ , Joe thought as Kristen took a shot completely missing the stripe she had aimed at.

"You would think I would be better at this since we own the table," Kristen laughed.

"Well, it takes practice," Joe said with a smile as he leaned over to take a shot on a solid.

"Hey, dad," Kristen said as Joe took the shot. He sunk the ball in the corner pocket and turned around.

"Good evening, Mr. Newman," he said with a smile which wasn't returned.

"Kristen, I need a few minutes with Jake. Would you mind stepping out and closing the door?" Billy Newman said calmly as he looked steadily at Joe.

Kristen and Joe both frowned. Kristen stepped forward. "Dad, I promise we haven't done anything wrong."

This time, Newman gave her a small smile and said, "I know. It's work related. Just give us a few minutes."

"Okay," she said as she walked to the door, glancing nervously behind her as she went.

"Something wrong in the garage, Mr. Newman?" Joe asked, keeping the puzzled frown on his face and placing the handle of his pool stick on the floor in front of him with his hands resting near the top.

"Not the garage, Jake, my house." Newman moved to stand between Joe and the door.

"It's like Kristen said, we haven't-"

"Cut the crap, Mr. Remarque. I was on my way home when the security company notified me that there was movement in my home office when there shouldn't have been."

"We haven't seen anyone in the house-"

"More crap, Jake. You and Kristen are the only ones in the house. They only got a few seconds of footage but they sent me a picture. It's you, Jake. Just what were you doing in there?"

Joe dropped his head. "I thought you might have some money in there, sir."

"Money," Newman said derisively. "You expect me to believe that? There hasn't been anyone in the shop with a cleaner nose than you, Jake. If you were doing drugs and needed money, we'd have noticed." He took a menacing step closer. "Now why were you in there?"

"I can't help it if you don't believe the truth, Mr. Newman." Joe said as he looked down his eyes focusing on the stick.

Newman stepped forward and swung his fist catching Joe unaware. The punch hit Joe on the jaw and he fell back heavily hitting his back against the pool table. He clawed frantically to catch his hand around the bumper but it slipped and he fell to his butt on the floor with his back against the table leg. The pool stick clattered to the floor beside him. A hand went to his jaw which was throbbing while the other reached out to grab the pool stick. "Mr. Newman I-"

"Daddy!" Kristen called from outside the room. Her tone was scared and Newman turned instantly toward the door.

He was on the way out when the door opened and a man with a gun and a badge entered. "Mr. Newman, I'm with the ATF and we have a few questions for you."

"You better have a warrant-"

The man fished folded papers from his back pocket. "Right here, sir. Now if you don't mind opening the door down the hall."

Newman turned his angry visage to Joe who was now standing. "I should have known you were too good. No decent boy would have gone out with Kristen."

"You're wrong, sir. Any guy would be happy to go out with her; she can't help who her father is."

Newman practically snarled as the agent stepped forward and said again, "Mr. Newman, this way please."

Joe followed behind and watched them enter the private office. He didn't even glance in as he walked past. He had something else he needed to do. As he went downstairs, he saw a female agent talking with Kristen.

"Jake!" Kristen stood and moved forward to throw herself in his arms. "What's going on? Why did dad want to talk to you? Why are these agents here?"

Joe hugged her tightly. "They'll tell you about it soon enough. Your dad was involved in some illegal things."

Kristen pulled back and stared up into Joe's face. "Illegal?" She pushed back further so that she was out of his arms. "How do you know about that?" she asked with a trembling voice. Before he could answer she glanced upstairs and her eyes widened. "You- you used me," she whispered.

Joe knew there was no good way this would end. Saying, 'I never meant to hurt you' wouldn't help anything. "I really did care about you and while you might not believe it now, it's true."

"Get out!" she yelled and pointed toward the door. "Get out!" she screamed again and this time rushed forward to push him in the chest.

"Jake!" Angela Williams' voice cut across the room gathering everyone's attention. "It's time to go."

With one last glance at Kristen, he turned and left. Once outside, Williams said, "Go home. I'll be there once I've wrapped things up here." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you did a good job, Joe."

Without looking at her, he replied, "You're right. It's doesn't seem that way." He walked out from under her consoling hand.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.

 **Beta:** Thanks again for WendyLouWho10 for once again reading to catch the big errors and for flow!

 **Rating/Setting:** Part of my "Taken" story arc. Rating is T. Setting is AU but I was thinking about a cross between Casefiles and Blue Spines when I started writing the series. Boys are F19/J18.

 **Author's Notes:** There's been a notification glitch for over a week. If you think you missed a chapter, go back and catch up! Just a final shout out to those of you who reviewed! Thanks for reviewing and reading! Barb, Caranath, Cherylann Rivers, curlingduck, guest, Joe's fan, JoeNeal, KDesai, max2013, nicolelylewis, Rose61393, and SleuthCK. Thanks! Hopefully I didn't leave anyone out!

I think about 9 chapters into the next story and expect it to be about 20 chapters maybe. We'll see how it turns out. :-) I hope to start posting by early June so check back then!

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

As he exited from the secure section of the Bayport airport, Joe opened his arms and Vanessa practically jumped into them. He smiled at his brother through her hair which had streamed across his face. "I guess I don't have to ask if you're glad to see me."

She squeezed him tightly. "You know we're glad to have you back." She let go her hold on him and stepped back so that Frank could slap him on the shoulder.

"Back just in time to start football practice," Frank said with a smile.

Joe shrugged and his smile faltered, "It worked out. Let's grab my bags and go." He moved toward the small carousel for luggage. He had only had to stay in Chesapeake for two days after ORT busted Newman. The files in the drawer contained all the information ORT needed for suppliers and buyers. With Newman in custody, he didn't really have anything else to share or do, so he was sent home. Kristen had refused to speak to him, so he left her a note that Agent Williams promised to deliver. However, he didn't feel much better about it.

"Do you want to go home first or would you like to get something to eat?" Frank asked and then added at Joe's surprised look, "Mom said it was okay. She knew that the three of us would want to talk and she thought you might want to get it out of the way."

Joe looked to the luggage that was now slowly moving out onto the conveyor. "Yeah, I think I would."

"I'll send her a text," Frank said.

"Prito's?" Vanessa asked.

Joe grunted as he pulled a suitcase off the belt and sat it heavily on the floor. "No. Somewhere quiet where we won't see many people we know."

Vanessa nodded. "Carlson's Café?"

A large grin lit Joe's face. "Perfect."

.**********.

After placing their orders, the three teens looked at each other and Frank laughed as he said, "Okay, so who wants to go first."

Vanessa was squirming as she said, "Let's go first. I want to go ahead and get it out in the open." She pulled her phone out and pulled up the photo app and handed it to Joe. "ORT had us take these over several days and some while we were in Boston."

Joe braced himself as he took the phone. ORT had had him take pictures with Agent Williams once they were both in Chesapeake and they photo-shopped some pictures of him with his mom so that Agent Williams was in it instead of Laura. They had left pictures of him and Vanessa and their friends as long as there was no identifying information to Bayport. It would have been odd for him to not have any pictures on his phone if anyone had looked. So he knew that he was going to see pictures of Vanessa and Frank. What he didn't expect was to see pictures of Frank and Vanessa where they had photo-shopped Frank's head on Joe's body. He stared at a picture for a moment.

"The pictures of me kissing Vanessa on the cheek or her kissing me just didn't look right. It was obvious that we couldn't fake it so we did a lot of casual ones and they photo-shopped just a few to show us kissing." Frank said with just a little concern.

Joe handed the phone back and gave them both a rueful smile. "Listen, it's no problem. I knew that would happen." He nodded at Vanessa and added, "But since that's your personal phone, why don't you go ahead and delete those so that our friends don't get the wrong idea about the three of us." He knew that ORT would keep the originals on file in case they needed to use them for a future cover.

Vanessa nervously fiddled with the phone and Joe reached across the table and said, "Hey. Stop worrying. I KNOW that you and Frank didn't do anything." He kept her hand as he said, "Let's see. He held your hand. He put his arm around your waist or shoulders. Maybe danced with you when you went out; kissed your cheek." He tilted his head to the side. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, I think that covers it," Vanessa said with a genuine smile and looked to Frank. "Can you think of anything else?"

"Well, you did whisper in my ear once," he deadpanned.

Joe burst into laughter. "Well, that could be crossing the line."

Frank smiled and said, "Other than making comments that implied a more serious relationship, that was the extent of the PDA."

The drinks were delivered and when the waitress left, Joe played with the straw in front of him as he stared at it. "I feel like such a hypocrite," he said softly. "I was so concerned about what the two of you would be doing when I KNEW that nothing would happen."

"Joe?" Vanessa asked in concern. "What happened?"

"Kristen Newman. Like I told you, it was expected that she would flirt with me." Joe glanced up to see Vanessa's frown.

"So what happened?" Vanessa asked again. She wasn't angry; she was just trying to figure out why Joe was acting the way he was.

"Her father was a primary suspect and I went out with her in order to get info on her dad. We were often at her house alone but nothing besides kissing ever happened," Joe said hurriedly.

Vanessa's tone was deceptively soft and Joe had a bad feeling as she said, "How much kissing?"

Joe stared into his girlfriend's eyes and he could feel the discomfort coming from his brother.

"Maybe I should leave the two of you alone for a few minutes," Frank said as he stood from the table.

Joe didn't take his eyes off of Vanessa. "More than I wanted."

"How much?"

"I can't give you the number, Vanessa. It was a lot and they weren't all just a peck on the cheek," Joe replied honestly. He watched as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner. "I'm sorry. I felt awful doing it. I felt like a jerk kissing her with no feelings for her." He looked away. "I felt even worse when she realized I had been using her to get information on her father." He leaned forward with his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. "If you need some time—" He stopped when he felt her hand on his arm.

"Listen, Joe. I'm not going to break up with you over this. You were doing your job just like I was doing mine. Am I happy you did it? Of course not." She gave him a small smile as she tightened her grip. "I'm a little possessive of you the same way you are of me. I would love to punch the girl who kissed you, but she didn't know about us and you would have never kissed her if you weren't on a job." She tugged until his arm lay across the table and she took his hand. "I plan to make sure you remember that I'm your girl."

The look in her eyes made Joe's heart beat faster. He was so caught up in what Vanessa said, that he didn't even hear Frank return.

"Looks like it's safe for me to return," Frank said as he sat down. Further conversation stopped as their food was delivered.

"Yeah, things are okay," Vanessa said. "But I have to say that I'm glad that they aren't going to send us on missions that require romantic pairings."

Frank gave them a grim smile. "I'm glad I told them the same thing. I don't want to go off and be kissing on other girls. Especially since I can't talk to Callie like the two of you can talk."

"Good idea, Frank. I can tell you from my own experience, it eats at you. I can't imagine doing what I did and then coming back to Vanessa and not telling her," Joe said as he cut into his food.

The trio continued on with their meal. Frank thinking about what his brother said while Joe and Vanessa thought about finally sharing a kiss after so many weeks.

.**********.

Frank walked into the house carrying one of Joe's bags. Laura came in the room and asked, "Where's Joe?"

"He's driving Vanessa back to her house."

Laura looked at her watch. "Well, he'll be home in just a bit then."

Frank couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. "He might be just a bit longer, mom. He and Vanessa have a little more catching up to do."

Laura frowned and then her eyes widened, "Oh. Well, I suppose they do." She turned and left the room with her cheeks flushed.

Frank just continued smiling and carried the bag upstairs.

.**********.

Joe and Vanessa sat in the porch swing at her house, arms wrapped around each other and their lips pressed together. Neither one had thoughts of missions or college on their minds. They were focused on one thing: each other.


End file.
